RAFAEL BENITEZ has boldly predicted he will lead Newcastle United straight back to the Premier League next season, and revealed he does not have to sell a single player as a result of the club’s relegation.

Ten days of intensive negotiations finally came to an end last night when Benitez agreed a new three-year contract to remain as Newcastle manager, with the Spaniard having rejected a number of other offers in order to continue at St James’ Park.

The statement that confirmed his new deal explicitly stated that Benitez would have “day-to-day responsibility for all football-related matters”, a situation that represents a marked departure from the position in which Alan Pardew and Steve McClaren were forced to operate.

While Lee Charnley will continue as managing director and Graham Carr is expected to remain in a diminished role, Benitez will assume control over all transfer matters, having sought clarification from Mike Ashley over the extent of the cost-cutting that will be required with Newcastle’s income expected to drop by around £40m.

If the Magpies do not sell anyone, they will have the highest-paid squad in Championship history, but Benitez insists he has been promised he can retain whoever he wants and still have money to spend on new signings.

“I have assurances we will have a strong team and a winning team,” said the Newcastle boss. “The fans have to know that I will build a strong team.

“I have the assurance that if I don’t want to sell any players, I don’t have to. We can keep all the players who we want.

“Obviously, I’m really pleased about that. I said before I was very happy with the commitment of the players, so to keep these players if I want to keep them is massive because we have a good team. We saw that in the last games.

“We can keep every player if we want, and we can bring players if we need them. How much we have, that is for us, but we can bring players and still keep all the players that we want.”

Benitez is expected to hold talks with the likes of Andros Townsend, Georginio Wijnaldum and Moussa Sissoko prior to the start of pre-season training, but is optimistic that even established internationals could be persuaded to remain on Tyneside now that he has committed himself to the cause.

“I have had conversations with players before, and some players have told me they are quite happy because they can see the size of the club and can see that next year could be a great year to do things well and get promoted,” he said.

“Then, they could stay a long time in the Premier League. If someone comes and approaches me, I will react, but at the moment, we don’t have to do anything because we do not have to sell.”

The Northern Echo:
NEW DEAL: Rafael Benitez arrives at St James' Park on Wednesday where he is expected to put pen to paper on a new deal

Benitez’s conversations with Charnley and Mike Ashley have clearly convinced him that Newcastle are capable of winning promotion at the first time of asking, and also that the club’s hierarchy will display renewed ambition if they find themselves back in the top-flight.

Talk of winning major trophies might seem incredulous given that the Magpies will spend next season visiting the likes of Rotherham United, Burton Albion and Huddersfield Town, but Benitez clearly believes that the untapped potential he described when he first agreed to take over on Tyneside has not disappeared.

“If I have decided to stay, it is because I believe we can be where we belong,” said Benitez. “Yes, it is a challenge. But I have won trophies and now it is time for a new project, a new challenge. I can see the possibilities, the size of the club and the potential. Everything is massive and I want to be a part of it.

“I am here because I am convinced we can go up next season, stay there for a long time and even win trophies. I would like to build something. I would like to be close to what (Sir Bobby Robson) achieved here, that would be fantastic.”

Benitez also revealed that his rapport with the Newcastle fans had been a major factor in his decision to remain and drop into the second tier.

The Spaniard won just three of his ten games at the end of last season, but was still hailed a hero for his efforts as the club crashed out of the top-flight.

He was serenaded throughout the final-day win over Tottenham, and having been amazed by the level of support he received, he admits he felt unable to walk away.

“Maybe it is because I am getting older that I am more emotional now,” he said. “When I was at Liverpool, I said no to managing Real Madrid at that time because I had given my word to Liverpool and that was emotional.

“Maybe I have had the same situation in other places as well, but in this case, it has been quite easy because of the reaction of the fans.

“I was at the ‘Run for the 96’ the other day in Liverpool, and my relationship with the fans at Liverpool is really good – with the city, with everything – but we were doing really well there and we were winning.

“Here, even though we were not winning, the fans were still fantastic. From day one, they were so positive. I remember talking with my staff and saying, ‘We are not winning, but still they are so good’.

“We were impressed with that, and we said, ‘We have to win for them’. I want to repay them and do the best I can.”

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