RAFA’S READY TO C-ASH OUT
Benitez wants to move fast
RAFA BENITEZ has turned up the heat on Mike Ashley in his bid to scrape together a New Year survival fund.
The Newcastle boss admits that while his Christmas shopping is done and dusted, he can’t say the same when it comes to his desperately needed transfer window reinforcements.
Benitez is still waiting to learn the amount he’ll have to spend following talks with billionaire Ashley.
But he reckons Ashley will stump up the cash, despite being on the verge of selling the club.
Benitez (inset) said: “I’ve been in contact with Mike to talk about January and I hope that he is clever enough to understand.
“It’s his team, his business and he wants the best for them.
Quickly
“We’ve seen the consequences of not doing business the way we wanted in August, so it’s obvious, when we talk about January, how important it is for the city, for every fan and for everyone at the club, that we stay in the Premier League.
“I don’t know what kind of budget will be available at this stage, but it’s really important that we do things as quickly as possible.
“I have the belief and the confidence in Mike that by January 15 or 20, we have to be there with everything done.
“If you go to January 30, it’s very difficult to do business on the last day of the window. We have been ® going slowly, trying to do things, but I think we will have some good news in the next couple of weeks.
“You have to do your business early and get the players in as soon as possible. “For me personally, everything is done for my shopping, but that’s Christmas – not January.” Benitez wants to add Chelsea wing-back Kenedy and the Leicester striker Islam Slimani to his depleted ranks. Newcastle can climb out of the bottom three with a first away win since September at West Ham – one of four clubs in the bottom seven to sack their boss this season.
The Toon manager, who is among the most secure around, despite the worst run of his career, added: “My experience for years and years is that when you change managers, in the long term it doesn’t change too much.
“You just need to look at the stats. Maybe in the short term, but long term, no.”