Benitez drops exciting transfer hint - Reveals FOUR deals he wants done before window shuts
Rafa Benitez has confirmed his intention to sign 'two or three offensive players' and defensive cover before the transfer window closes - insisting that it's 'not just a striker' that he wants in before next month's deadline.
This is good to hear, with Benitez clearly intent on improving the squad in several areas before the new season kicks off - however we will have to pull our socks up if we want to deliver the signings he's demanding.
Here's what he's said when opening up about NUFC's transfer plans between now and next month's deadline:
“There are some positions we have to improve, not just a striker,”
“We have [to sign] two or three more offensive players, and also we need some back up in defence, or to improve the defence a little bit.”
I imagine he's wanting at least one striker, but it sounds like he may also want a winger (Townsend?) AND a number 10.
He clearly wants cover at full-back and centre-back too - with Mbemba needing to be replaced and us having a clear lack of competition for Dummett and Yedlin.
Benitez then insisted that there is 'plenty of work' left to make sure these signings come through the door before the earlier deadline of August 9th, insisting that our current squad is 'more or less' the same as it was at the end of last season.
“We have plenty of work [still to do]. The point is not how many [signings] we have done,”
“We have to improve the team, and that means improve the squad. At the moment, we have the same players, more or less, that we had before.
“We are in the starting position again.”
He's not wrong really. Aside from retaining Dubravka and Kenedy, our only other addition is Ki Sung-Yueng - and he's only arrived due to Mikel Merino's departure.
Promising to hear, but Benitez can only do so much when it comes to new signings.
It's time for Ashley and Charnley to get their heads together and make it happen.
