RAFA BENITEZ is determined not to change his approach to keeping Newcastle United in the Premier League, despite claims that Mike Ashley is considering potential successors for the St James’ Park manager’s office.

Speculation has increased in recent days that Ashley is considering contenders to replace the Spaniard because he is no nearer to signing a new deal. His existing terms expire at the end of this season when he is expected to leave.

There has not been any confirmation from Ashley nor Benitez on either front, although the suggestions that Celtic’s Brendan Rodgers is one of the leading names in the frame has led to greater uncertainty surrounding Benitez’s position.

Ashley has been involved more visibly on the first team front in recent weeks, having watched the last three matches from the stands and he also took the manager and his playing staff out for a meal in Ponteland, Northumberland.

During that dinner he is understood to have told Benitez that he wants him to stay in charge and that he is not looking to sell this season.

But the Newcastle boss does not want to commit to a new deal until he is confident Ashley matches his ambitions, and that would require a major turnaround in thinking towards transfer spending and investment in upgrading the club’s training facilities.

That is why Benitez’s position is something that will be up for constant discussion in the weeks ahead, particularly with the Magpies sitting in the bottom three and still winless at the middle of October.

Despite Ashley’s apparent comments over dinner that the club would not be sold this season, there has been fresh talk about a potential bidder.

As well as the much-publicised news that Peter Kenyon is working on putting together a consortium to buy out Ashley, it has been claimed in the Middle East that a Saudi investment group is preparing a huge bid.

The Vavel media organisation, which covers sport around the world, has suggested an offer is in the pipeline and that Ashley is tempted to do a deal.

Ashley had been looking for around £400m to sell and that is now thought to have been lowered, potentially to be around the £300m mark.

It was at this stage last year when the Sportswear billionaire began seriously looking to sell, only for discussions with Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners to breakdown. Staveley couldn’t agree to a fee and Ashley felt she had wasted his time.