IT’S A SNIP AT £325m! Toon is THE 15/8 club to buy
Rafa:
RAFA BENITEZ insists Newcastle United is club to buy in world football.
THE The Spanish boss has issued a powerful message to would-be investors – revealing the Geordies can be transformed into a “top-six club with massive potential” by a new owner.
Last week Mike Ashley admitted yet again that he wanted to sell up to let a “more popular owner” start afresh. Benitez has sent out the perfect sales pitch for Ashley – saying they can regain their status as regulars on the European stage with the right plans.
And he reckons a new chief at the helm would mean they could be mentioned “in the same breath” as his former clubs Liverpool, Inter, Napoli and Madrid.
Ashley, who is looking for a £325million sale, could not have asked for a more powerful advert from the Spaniard.
Asked if he understood why buyers would be interested in Newcastle, Benitez said: “Yes, 100 per cent. It is very clear it has the potential to be one of the top sides. Doing the right things at the right time you have the potential to be in the top eight, top six easily and to go to Europe.
“I can see the great potential. You don’t have too many big cities around with massive clubs. It’s a great opportunity. If I am here it’s because I can see this potential.
“I have experience in different countries and different big cities. You go to Madrid you have four or five teams at the maximum level, you go to Milan and it’s the same. Napoli is similar to Newcastle in terms of everyone supporting one club in the city. It’s positive and unique when you have that.
“I’ve seen some people criticising the North East but it’s an area with great potential.
“This club is the only one here in this region which is so big you can attract anyone.
“When I was in Valencia, Napoli, even Inter or Liverpool you were checking the richest clubs in the world, the biggest.
“Here we’re something like 99 per cent of capacity for home games every week. It’s really, really difficult to find that and here it means that everybody cares about football too.”
Benitez fancies his chances as a hands-on co-owner one day – but at a small club where he can help develop players. He said: “In the future, well, I would like maybe to involved in a small club. You can give them some advice. At a big club level, no. I don’t have this amount of money.”
Asked if that could be his local team on Merseyside, Tranmere, he added: “I didn’t say the name, but close!”
Like Gary Neville at Salford? He added: “I don’t think he has too much time to be coaching. I like coaching.”