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Newcastle United manager Rafael Benítez has spent £35m on low-key acquisitions so far this summer.
Newcastle United manager Rafael Benítez has spent £35m on low-key acquisitions so far this summer. Photograph: Scott Heppell/Reuters
Newcastle United manager Rafael Benítez has spent £35m on low-key acquisitions so far this summer. Photograph: Scott Heppell/Reuters

Newcastle’s summer transfer dealings not ideal, Rafael Benítez says

This article is more than 6 years old

Owner Mike Ashley’s blueprint now less ambitious than in May
‘He knows what he told me and what I was thinking,’ says manager

Rafael Benítez has indicated that Mike Ashley’s summer transfer market blueprint is now significantly less ambitious than it appeared when the two men last met in May.

“He knows what he told me and what I was thinking,” said Newcastle United’s manager, who has not spoken to the club’s owner since that rare get-together and finds himself forced to embrace a new-found minimalism when it comes to refurnishing his squad.

Indeed Benítez makes it plain he has been unable to sign the players he originally envisaged recruiting after the team sealed promotion from the Championship.

Instead about £35m has been invested in low-key acquisitions including Javier Manquillo, Jacob Murphy, Mikel Merino and, most recently, Joselu but Benítez will need to sell unwanted players before buying again. “We have to manage a situation that’s not ideal,” Newcastle’s manager said. When asked if this could still prove to be a “good” window the Spaniard’s answer proved downbeat. “It could still be a better window, I would say,” replied Benítez, who will be without the suspended Jonjo Shelvey against Huddersfield on Sunday.

“When you have what you have and you have missed what you’ve missed out on you can try to improve. But it cannot be ideal. It depends on the players we can move out. There is some interest in some of our players - [such as Jack Colback, Grant Hanley, Tim Krul and Aleksandar Mitrovic] - but clubs are offering less money than we want.”

Although Ashley attended last Sunday’s home 2-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur, he left without seeing the 57-year-old and Benítez did not watch a televised interview the sports retail tycoon gave to Sky that evening. In it Ashley said he lacked the necessary finance to compete with clubs such as Manchester City and also apologised to the former Newcastle managers Sam Allardyce, Alan Shearer and Chris Hughton for his treatment of them.

“I know more or less what he said,” the latest occupant of the St James’ Park hot-seat said. “I didn’t watch it but, believe me, it doesn’t change anything. I cannot change anything about our situation in terms of the transfer window.

“What I need to concentrate on are the things that depend on me, like training. I need to make sure my team is good enough to compete against Huddersfield, Nottingham Forest and West Ham in the next week.

“I’m not really surprised [Ashley left early]. I’ve been dealing with Lee Charnley [the managing director] for a year and a half. I don’t need anything else. I don’t need much contact if Lee Charnley’s there.”

He will be without Jonjo Shelvey at Huddersfield on Sunday as the midfield playmaker, who trails a history of struggling to control his on-pitch emotions, is starting a three-match ban for treading on Dele Alli’s ankle against Spurs.

“Jonjo knows he made a mistake,” Benítez said. “He’s the first one that wants to change, wants to improve but you cannot predict or prevent it. You have to keep giving him the right message but, at the end, it depends on one second when he loses control. He knows it depends on him. The other players try to help Jonjo but he’s important and he has to behave.”

One player who could feature in West Yorkshire is Joselu, a striker newly arrived from Stoke for £5m. “We know he has potential,” Benítez said. “Was he playing at his [best] level at Stoke, maybe not. Maybe he will have more chances here. It’s easier for me to talk to him in Spanish than maybe for Mark Hughes. So I can explain things but, after that, it depends on him.”

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