Paul Gascoigne has a message for Mike Ashley about Newcastle United’s future
Paul Gascoigne has urged Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley to open his chequebook in order to convince Rafa Benitez to stay on as manager.
The Spaniard’s future at St James’ Park remains up in the air, with the boss saying in the past that his contract renewal will depend on his ability to strengthen the squad in the transfer market.
Newcastle ended the season with a resounding 4-0 win away to Fulham, sealing a 13th-place finish in the Premier League.
But Gazza believes it is time for Ashley to give Benitez more financial backing in order to kick on next season.
“Rafa has been unbelievable,” he told TalkSport.
“The good thing about being Newcastle manager is you know how faithful the fans are. They’ll always turn up, even if they get beat. They’re incredible.
“I’m not being funny, but Mike Ashley obviously isn’t short a few bob and they’ve got to start giving Rafa money.
“They’ve been saying it for years, but a massive club like that and an unbelievable manager like that, with what he’s achieved, you’ve got to give the guy money.
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“Obviously he’s going to spend it wisely, he’s going to spent top class players.
“The money mike Ashley’s got, give me half and I’ll show him how to spend it!”
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Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.