Club reporter reveals why Rafa Benitez is refusing to sign 1-year extension offered by NUFC
Lee Ryder has revealed that the one-year contract extension offered to Rafa Benitez is 'no good to him' as it does not offer a 'project' - with him feeling it's the club simply asking him to 'keep us up for another season'.
This a long way from the five year deal reportedly offered to Benitez last year. Benitez wants to see ambition from United before committing to anything, something Ashley, Charnley et al clearly lack.
Here's what Ryder's had to say when speaking on the Chronicle's latest podcast this week:
"With what’s on the table at the moment I think he would find it hard because the requests he’s asked for haven’t been given.
"It’s up to NUFC to renegotiate what they’ve offered him; a one-year contract is no good to him because that’s not a project.
"It’s like ‘can you keep us up for another year Rafa?’ of course he could do it but why would you do it because you’re basically just trending water."
Rafa won the Championship, guided us to a top half finish last year and continues to deliver everything he can given the resources, or lack of them, he is given to work with. He clearly wants to see progression and the bigger picture to stay - and who can blame him. Our academy, infrastructure and transfer policy need overhauling and aren't fit for purpose.
Benitez is a serial winner and rightly won't sign up for another relegation battle next year; Rafa is our best hope of us progressing as if he does stay, it will be because we move forward and match some of his ambition. Otherwise, we will continue to yo-yo between the Premier League and Championship - the stand off between Rafa and Ashley promises to rumble on until May.
