The winger has been linked with leaving the Championship side for an immediate return to the top flight.
A report in the Chronicle has claimed that Newcastle are more hopeful of being able to stave off Premier League interest and keep Andros Townsend amongst their squad as they aim to get out of the Championship at the first attempt.
The Sun previously claimed that as many as six top flight clubs – Southampton, Everton, Crystal Palace, Stoke, Swansea and Watford – were monitoring the winger’s situation and were weighing up the possibility of offering the England international an immediate return to the highest level.
However, the Chronicle suggests that the Magpies are slightly more optimistic about keeping the 24-year-old as Townsend has reportedly settled in the local area and is enjoying life in the region.
And while that may not be enough on its own to convince him to stay in the second tier if one of the six sides comes calling, the lure of playing under a Champions League-winning manager who has worked with, and overseen the development of, some of the best players in Europe is surely also a factor that will make Townsend’s decision much tougher.
Having seemingly left Tottenham in January due to a lack of regular first-team football, Benitez will now be hoping to convince the wide-man that he can be a talisman for Newcastle this season, inspiring them towards promotion.
And if Townsend feels that all those factors will see his career take several steps forward in the coming years, then he will surely find it much more difficult to risk moving straight back to the top flight where he could potentially go back to being more of an impact substitute rather than a key man.
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