Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez doesn’t have a solid relationship with owner Mike Ashley.
Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez has told The Telegraph he is unsurprised that owner Mike Ashley left St James’s Park without seeing him last week.
Ashley and Managing Director Lee Charnley watched on from the stands as newly-promoted Newcastle slumped to a 2-0 home defeat by Spurs in their Premier League opener.
Benitez is suspected to have something of a fractious relationship with the Magpies owner, who left the stadium without speaking to the Spaniard last Sunday.
The former Liverpool boss has hinted that he is unhappy over a lack of financial backing from Ashley, who spoke to Sky Sports later that evening and revealed that he has pumped £250 million of his own money into the club and warned that United needed to generate their own funds for transfer market dealings.
And Benitez tells The Telegraph that he did not watch the interview, but claims that it does not change much with regards to their professional relationship.
“I’m not really surprised [Ashley left early]. I’ve been dealing with Lee Charnley for a year and a half. I don’t need anything else.
“I don’t need much contact if Lee Charnley’s there.”
“I know more or less what he said,” he added of Ashley’s interview.
“I didn’t watch it but, believe me, it doesn’t change anything. I cannot change anything about our situation in terms of the transfer window.”
Benitez has spent the guts of £30 million on transfers this summer but it remains to be seen whether the Newcastle manager has done enough in the window to ensure a successful return back to the top flight.
They breezed the Championship last season, but this is a big step-up in class, as Tottenham reminded them last week.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
