RAFA CRY FOR HELP

Benitez needs Ash cash to boost sale

RAFA BENITEZ has told Newcastle owner Mike Ashley to invest heavily in the New Year to protect the club’s value.

With Ashley having held face-toface talks with PCP Partners representative Amanda Staveley over a proposed takeover this week, the chances of a change of ownership at St James’ Park have increased.

But takeover talk has coincided with a slump in form. Defeat at home to Leicester this evening could leave Newcastle just a point above the drop zone after a sixgame winless run.

While Staveley is considering upping her bid to £300m, she will have second thoughts if the Magpies’ bad patch drags on.

Toon boss Benitez is confident of survival but insists only by strengthening his squad can he guarantee a stress-free second half to the season.

While he is being kept abreast of developments off the pitch, the Spaniard has no idea what the outcome of talks between the two parties will be.

Neither does he know whether Ashley will be willing to back him ® financially, having felt badly led down by his chairman in the past two windows.

“I will have a meeting and I will ask the questions and we will see where we are,” said Benitez, who welcomes back club captain Jamaal Lascelles and winger Christian Atsu against the Foxes.

Problems

“But at the moment I don’t know and I need to know where we are.

“I’m confident we can stay up but we need help in some positions, because as soon as we have some injuries, we have problems winning games.”

Benitez is in no doubt the best way to hold up the valuation of Newcastle is by signing new players.

He added: “At any club in the world, the value depends on the first team and what you are doing on the pitch.

“It is very simple. You have to make sure that your team is strong enough to stay in the Premier League.

“That has been my message from the beginning of the season and I think it is obvious that we have some positions that we have to reinforce.

“Mike Ashley is a businessman who will have a clear idea what he needs to do to improve his business and then it will be much better.

“He wants to win, because it’s good for him, so he will try to do that.”

WANTED: Mahrez determined not to let the player’s off-field matters hold up the progress he has made since becoming Foxes boss. Puel, whose men travel to Newcastle today, said: “The most important thing is not to be distracted. On the pitch, all the...