Ashley may pay a heavy price if he does not spend big
DON’T THINK RAFA WON’T WALK AWAY
IT WAS said Newcastle United had a Championship side managed by a Champions League winner.
So what does that say about Rafa Benitez and his players in finishing 10th in the Premier League? Magnificent both, that’s what! It also cries out in six-foot high letters it will be virtually impossible to repeat, never mind top, unless Mike Ashley backs Benitez in the transfer market.
United have overachieved in the season just ended.
They have since Benitez came among us permanently given the lack of financial help he has received.
Ashley’s talk has been cheap in the past and so have his buys.
The most Newcastle have spent on a player during his 10-plus years of control is the £14.5m they doled out in July of 2015 for Georginio Wijnaldum – and Ashley made a whopping profit on him when he moved on to Liverpool for £25m.
Indeed, United in the Ashley era have repeatedly made more money as sellers than they have ever paid out in their history.
Think of Wijnaldum at £25m, Moussa Sissoko £30m to Spurs, and Andy Carroll - a staggering £35m to Liverpool.
That means Ashley Newcastle are a selling club rather than a buying one. under Michael Owen is still United’s record signing The fact United’s club record transfer still stands at the £16m paid for Michael Owen 13 years ago is jawdropping given their illustrious history and huge fan base. Plenty of Premier League clubs outside the big six have topped Owen’s fee of more recent times – Bournemouth splashing £20m on Nathan Ake, Brighton £22m for Ales Mateju, Crystal Palace £27m for Christian Benteke, Leicester £29m for Islam Slimani as we know and Everton shelling out £30m to Sunderland for Jordan Pickford. Both West Ham and Swansea paid £20m for the same player, Andre Ayew, while another club just relegated - Stoke City - splashed out £18m on Giannelli Imbula. Benitez did better than most of them with less to spend, but Ashley ought not to try to take advantage by arguing if United can finish 10th, they only need two modest acquisitions to remain safely in mid-table, which is the height of the owner’s ambition. That sort of twisted logic is inviting trouble and inviting Benitez to take to the exit door.
Can he go on trusting a policy maker who reneges on all vague reassurances?
No, the bottom line is we all fear Ashley is going to sit tight as usual and hope the gale-force winds subside as the summer progresses. In the meantime, valuable transfer time will have been criminally wasted.
Ashley is apparently reassuring himself with the thought he has Benitez on a “watertight” contract which ties him hand and foot to Newcastle whether he likes it or not.
Really? For the next year only? That is real forward planning when talking about a successful manager.
As far as “watertight” is concerned, Ashley’s comfort blanket is the contract includes “a large release clause.”
That clause is for £6m, which may be large to an owner who counts in pennies as much as pounds but is chicken feed when compared to what PL clubs are willing to shell out for quality players and Benitez is quality.