Report: Arteta and Blanc want Newcastle job, Perez expected to leave

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Newcastle United are looking for a new manager after losing Rafael Benitez.

According to the Daily Star, Laurent Blanc and Mikel Arteta are both interested in the Newcastle United job – but forward Ayoze Perez is expected to leave.

The Magpies announced on Monday that boss Rafael Benitez is leaving the club when his contract expires on Sunday, leaving fans absolutely apoplectic.

Somehow, Mike Ashley has squandered Newcastle’s best manager in years, and he must now find a replacement that will not only appease Magpies fans, but keep the club in the Premier League on a tight budget.

It’s now believed that Blanc and Arteta are both interested in the job, but they may be dealt an immediate blow with forward Perez expected to follow Benitez out of St James’ Park.

Starting with Blanc, the Frenchman has been out of work for three years now, having left Paris Saint-Germain in 2016 with a 73% win rate and 11 trophies to his name, of which three were league titles.

The 53-year-old had prior spells with Bordeaux and the French national team, and despite boasting a career win rate of 65%, the ex-Manchester United defender has received little interest – and seemingly fancies a return to England with Newcastle.

Arteta is at the other end of the spectrum. The former Everton and Arsenal midfielder is currently on Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff at Manchester City, and will be looking to make his first move into management soon.

The Spaniard is now seemingly interested in the Newcastle job, but whether the 37-year-old is willing to work under such chaotic circumstances in his first job is something that he should really think about.

Either manager would love to work with forward Perez, but it’s claimed that he’s expected to leave the club this summer and ultimately follow Benitez out of St James’ Park.

The 25-year-old attacker hit eight goals in 10 games to end the season, attracting interest from a host of clubs as a result, and seeing him leave would really compound the misery for Newcastle fans right now.