Will Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez sign a new deal? Updated for May 2025

Updated: 22nd May 2025

With the 2018-19 season almost coming to an end, the future of Newcastle coach-cum-manager Rafael Benitez remains under a cloud.

Benitez who managed clubs like Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Real Madrid spanning a career of two decades, is currently finding the going tough at St. James Park what with the Magpies struggling on the 15th spot of the Premier League table and just three places away from relegation.

Prior to defeats to Crystal Palace and Leicester City, Benitez had called for clarity from owners, Ashley and Lee Charnley, with his current deal set to expire in the summer.

Benitez has acknowledged there is an air of uncertainty around St James' Park as Newcastle struggle to stay in the top flight of English football.

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Fans still want to see the 58-year Spaniard to be at the helm at Tyneside, though the season has been peppered with numerous incidents that suggest he could walk away from his job. Benitez himself is eager to continue his work with The Magpies and has urged the club management to make their intentions clear.

But should Newcastle end the season in relegation territory and get demoted to the Championships, there's a clear chance that Benitez will walk away, as the Toon boss would want to manage at the top level in Europe.

But chances of the Magpies slipping into that dreaded zone of the Premier League look remote, a situation helped by the dismal performances of Cardiff City, Fulham and Huddersfield all three of whom look destined for relegation.

Benitez's desire to remain in the spotlight in one of the top leagues of Europe is borne out by his refusal to move to the Middle East or China from where he is reported to have been offered lucrative deals.

The Spaniard wants several reassurances before committing his future to Newcastle, the most significant being control over new signings and departures at the club. Since his advent to St. James Park in 2016, Benitez has expressed dissatisfaction as to how things have been handled there.

Newcastle legend Nobby Solano has spoken why the management should not let Benitez leave in the summer stating that owner Mike Ashley needs to appreciate what the manager has contributed to the club during his three years with the club and that “Rafa” is an international manager who can find a job just anywhere.

Solano ended by saying in his interview to The Chronicle:

“Mike should show him some respect and get him on board as soon as possible because he can go somewhere else.”

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