Rafa Benítez issues Newcastle ultimatum
The Magpies boss has asked for January reinforcements and has not ruled out walking if they are not forthcoming: "We'll wait until Thursday and see what happens."
Rafa Benítez has given Newcastle United’s board no assurances that he will continue in his role at St James’ Park beyond the end of the week if his request for January reinforcements is not met.
Benítez has been at loggerheads with Newcastle owner Mike Ashley for some time over a lack of investment in the squad and has issued an ultimatum with just a few days of the transfer window remaining: “We will wait until Thursday and see what happens,” Benítez said.
There have been no new arrivals at Newcastle so far in January and a deal for Lazio defender Jordan Lukaku broke down after the two clubs failed to reach an agreement for the Belgian, who is the younger brother of Manchester United striker Romelu.
As well as a defender, Benítez has asked for a left back, an attacking midfielder and a winger, but there is no evidence of any deals being pushed through.
Benítez: Newcastle need a miracle to stay up
Newcastle are 17th in the Premier League and face Manchester City on Tuesday with Benítez having issued a stark warning about his team’s chances of staying up this season: "It was a miracle last year. People were thinking, 'Oh, you finished 10th', but with a couple fewer wins, we could have been in the bottom five, so it was a miracle.
"If we do the same this year with teams spending even more money than last year, it will be a miracle."
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