Mitrovic exit is not clear-cut

RAFA Benitez has insisted that Aleksandar Mitrovic won’t be sold in January unless he is able to bring in a replacement.

Mitrovic went public this week and told the Press in Serbia he wanted to leave the club in the January window after failing to break into Benitez’s team this season.

So far Newcastle have only had loan offers for Mitrovic, from Partizan Belgrade and Anderlecht, but Benitez does not have the transfer funds to replace the Serbia international if he left on a temporary basis.

Injuries to Joselu and Dwight Gayle would then leave him without a recognised striker for the second half of the season.

When asked his opinion of Mitrovic’s comments this week, Benitez told the Chronicle: “We’re in January now, and all the players going to the World Cup in the summer want to play.

“We have the same situation when we approach other teams.

“There are players who want to leave, but clubs say no because the price is not right or they don’t have other options to come in.

“In our case (with Mitro) we don’t have any offers. And I mean a proper offer.”

And while Mitrovic’s frustration at not being able to leave is one thing, Benitez is dealing with a similar problem when trying to entice players to St James’ Park.

He said: “We are asking for players on loan and nobody is prepared to do it.

“It’s the same for us. I could send 10 players out on loan, but it’s not the case. We have to have a squad strong enough to compete.

“The way to do that is to make sure in every training session you give everything.

“Then you put the manager under pressure.”

Benitez did not want to discuss transfers in depth ahead of the crunch clash with Brighton and the trip to Stoke City on New Year’s Day.

He said: “I want to focus on games now because we have two games in a few days.

“We have to be sure that we don’t waste too much energy thinking about other things.”