Benitez ready to leave Newcastle if transfer demands ignored

According to a report by 'The Telegraph', Rafa Benitez is considering leaving Newcastle United at the end of the season, if he is not backed with two new signings by the end of the current transfer window. With his team currently lingering in 17th place in the Premier League table, just two points above the relegation zone, Benitez is desperate to add fresh faces to his struggling squad.

Yet now the stalemate between owner and manager appears to have come to a head, with Benitez prepared to reject a contract renewal at St James' Park, if Mike Ashley does not deliver.

A host of names have been linked with moves to the North east in recent weeks, but with owner Mike Ashley in the midst of an apparent sale of the club, funds have all but dried up. It is said that manager Benitez wants to bolster the depth in various areas of his squad, with Iran left back Milad Mohammadi a loan target, while Atlanta United's attacking midfielder Miguel Almiron is also on their radar. 

Benitez and Ashley were said to have held talks this past weekend, after Newcastle ran out 3-0 winners over fellow strugglers Cardiff City. The pair discusses the ongoing attempts to sell the club, but with this seeming to have hit a major stumbling block, Benitez was keen to air his frustrations surrounding the lack of transfer activity. 

The 'Telegraph' alleges that Benitez handed club chiefs a list of transfer targets, broken down by position and price range. With the club yet to deliver on any of those potential incomings, they continue to run the increasing risk of facing a fight to keep hold of their manager.