RAFAEL BENITEZ has indicated he is willing to meet Mike Ashley to discuss a new contract at Newcastle United, but has warned it should not automatically be assumed that this week’s transfer events make it more likely he will commit his long-term future to the club.

Benitez’s future beyond the end of the season has been the subject of considerable conjecture in the last few weeks, with the Spaniard’s current deal due to expire in the summer.

It had been feared he would sever his ties with the Magpies if Ashley failed to provide significant backing in the January transfer window, but the Newcastle owner sanctioned the club-record £20.7m signing of Miguel Almiron and also facilitated the arrival on Antonio Barreca on a season-long loan.

Newcastle fans had hoped that would increase the likelihood of Benitez signing a new contract, and the Magpies manager is willing to discuss his position with Ashley, even if the pair do not yet have a date in the diary for talks.

However, Benitez once again refused to provide any clarity over his long-term plans, and insisted the arrival of two new signings had not fundamentally changed his position.

“I didn’t say if we don’t sign players, I will leave,” said the Newcastle boss, ahead of today’s televised game at Tottenham. “I will not say now that because we have signed two players, I will sign.

“We have plenty of time to talk. The most important thing is to concentrate on the next games.

“The key is balance. Balance both before the transfer window and after. I am quite realistic and pragmatic – my approach during the transfer window was that I didn’t want to create headlines all the time because we could lose focus. And I was right because we beat Cardiff City and Manchester City.

“People were not talking about this player or that, and we were focused. We still have to stay in the Premier League, so I don’t want every press conference to be talking about that (his future). We will have a time to sit down and talk about the future, but it is not now because we have to play against Tottenham.”

It is unusual for a Premier League manager to be heading into the final six months of his contract without having at least indicated a willingness to sign a new deal, but Benitez is adamant his situation will not be a distraction as Newcastle continue to battle for Premier League survival.

“It’s normal in business, in football, in any job, that people have to do their job on a daily basis. And then they can discuss it later,” he said.

At least the arrival of Almiron and Barreca has changed the off-field narrative slightly, with Newcastle finally having broken a 14-year-old transfer record that had become something of a standing joke.

Almiron is not available for today’s game at Wembley as he is waiting for a work permit, but Barreca will be part of the squad. The Italian trained with his new team-mates for the first time yesterday, and is likely to be on the bench this afternoon.

“We have signed two players without experience in the Premier League so they will need some time,” said Benitez. “I remember signing a player at Liverpool that people thought he had to work from day one, but I said we had signed him for five years. We need Almiron right now, but we have not signed him just for this month.

“He has the desire, ambition and conditions to do well, he can play in different positions – as a number ten or a winger. He is not physically strong like Antonio Barreca, but that doesn’t mean they cannot perform or give us something we need. Almiron has pace and stamina and is a worker. We have two different kind of players that we didn’t have before.”

Newcastle also tried to sign Andreas Samaris and Anthony Limbombe on deadline day, only for their proposed deals to collapse. Given they were the only Premier League club to post a net profit from their summer trading, it could be argued the Magpies’ outlay was merely a case of them catching up with their rivals, but Benitez still regards their January business as a step in the right direction.

“We have two players we didn’t have,” he said. “I’m happier than before. Why? We have those two extra players, and we also still have (Isaac) Hayden. “I had a conversation with him the other day, and he was fine.

“He knew what he wanted, he was a very good professional. He is quite happy to stay here and has shown his commitment in the games. It’s another positive.

“Then you have the other players, you can see they are more positive too. We were training, and Barreca was doing well. I was a player once, and when you seen someone new come and they are doing things right, you think, ‘Ah right, okay’. That is good for the team. I think everybody is a little bit happier - we won (against Manchester City) and we have two new faces.”

Mo Diame has returned to light training, but the midfielder will not be considered for today’s game against a Spurs side that will once again be without Harry Kane and Dele Alli. Paul Dummett and Ki Sung-Yueng are due to return to training next week, and could be available to face Wolves.