Newcastle United are again being linked Rafael Benitez.
According to the Daily Star (19/04, back page), Rafael Benitez is ‘on the verge’ of a return to Newcastle United once the club’s takeover is completed.
It’s claimed that Benitez heading back to Newcastle is a ‘done deal’, with the club’s new ownership likely to bring the Spaniard back to St James’ Park.
Benitez is thought to be close to Amanda Staveley, who is playing a key role in the takeover, so rumours of his return to the club aren’t exactly a huge surprise.
Benitez, 60, spent more than three years as Newcastle boss, re-establishing them as a Premier League side before leaving when his contract expired last summer.
The decision was met with anger from many Newcastle fans as they felt Mike Ashley had squandered the club’s best manager in years, as Benitez had always done well on a budget.
However, claims of it being a ‘done deal’ seem a little premature; Steve Bruce is still in the job for one, whilst it seems unlikely that the new owners would have deals set up already.
The Daily Mail even claim that Bruce will keep his job if the takeover is done, with £20million needed in order to buy Benitez out of his Dalian Professional contract.
For now, we’re choosing to believe that Bruce will have some time yet, but the rumours of Benitez returning will likely hang over him for a while.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
