Newcastle United news: Rafael Benitez ‘to be given’ £100million transfer budget over next two seasons
The Magpies manager will also get the green light to smash their transfer record again
Rafael Benitez will reportedly be given more than £100million to spend over the next two seasons at Newcastle United if he decides to stay.
Benitez’s contract expires at the end of the season and he has yet to commit his future to the club.
How Newcastle could line up next season if Benitez stays
Where Benitez could go if he leaves Newcastle this summer
Discussions are understood to have been going on for more than 18 months and he is still waiting for answers on certain requests from the board, according to .
report that the manager will be armed with more than £50million a season to spend.
In an interview with Newcastle managing director Lee Charnley, following the release of their accounts, he said the club want to ‘invest and strengthen’ in the summer.
He said: “Our accounts are pretty simple. We’ve got turnover less our wage bill and other operating costs.
“And broadly speaking that gives us what we have to spend in a year. It’s not difficult to do the maths – that’s what we have to spend.
“In addition to that, you then have the funds generated from player sales.
“We would look to spend our budget on a small number of high-quality players, rather than dilute the money over so many.
“We’d then look to supplement this with loans. We want players that can make a difference and improve the team.
LIVE ON talkSPORT
talkSPORT is your home of live football! Here's what's coming up on talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2...
- Napoli vs Arsenal (Thursday, 8pm) - talkSPORT 2
- Sheffield United vs Nottingham Forest (Friday, 12:30pm) - talkSPORT 2
- Leeds vs Wigan (Friday, 3pm) - talkSPORT 2
- Sunderland vs Doncaster (Friday, 5:15pm) - talkSPORT 2
- Norwich vs Sheffield Wednesday (Friday, 7:45pm) - talkSPORT 2
- Newcastle vs Southampton (Saturday, 5:30pm) - talkSPORT
- Accrington Stanley vs Luton (Saturday, 5:30pm) - talkSPORT 2
- Everton vs Manchester United (Sunday, 1:30pm) - talkSPORT
- Cardiff vs Liverpool (Sunday, 4pm) - talkSPORT
“We want to be competitive at every level and in every competition.
“The idea we turn up every year just hoping to survive just isn’t correct.
“We want to improve – but do so sustainably.”
Newcastle’s surplus figure was £58.7million at the end of the 2017/18 season and it is expected to be around £50million over the next two years.
Charnley wants quality over quantity of players, which means that they could break their record signing.
They paid £21million for Miguel Almiron in the January transfer window.
One of the players believed to be high up on Benitez’s wish list is Salomon Rondon, who is currently on loan from West Bromwich Albion.
LATEST FOOTBALL NEWS
Charnley also revealed plans are in place to revamp their current training facilities but believes the £15-20million needed would be better served improving the team, in the short term.
He also confirmed the club are planning for Mike Ashley to carry on as owner but did not rule out a takeover in the future.