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Newcastle fans could soon be saying 'Rafa the gaffer' once more after The Athletic's George Caulkin made some bold claims over the future of beloved former Magpies boss Rafael Benitez.
The Spaniard departed St James' Park in the summer of 2019 at the denoument of his Newcastle contract following a failure to agree new terms with the club's hierarchy. He became a cult hero among many Magpies supporters during his time in charge on Tyneside.
He subsequently took over at Chinese club Dalian Yifang but recently resigned, citing personal reasons related to his family and their health as the reason for doing so.
Now a managerial free agent, many Newcastle fans will likely have wondered whether they could see Benitez back on Tyneside, and Caulkin addressed that idea.
Speaking on Gallowgate, a Newcastle fan channel on YouTube, the journalist claimed that Benitez could return to St James' Park - but not under Mike Ashley's stewardship. He said:
"I can see him coming back, but I think a lot of things would have to align for that to happen. Timing is one of the biggest things in football, and it doesn't often align perfectly."
"I can't see him coming back under Mike Ashley; I don't think that's something that either camp would be in favour of, for very obvious reasons."
"There is now a window where Rafa doesn't have a job, but the thing about that is, a) the takeover hasn't happened, and b) Rafa hates not working."
"So, I know for a fact he's going frantic now, and he's asking the question every day, 'where can I go, where can I go, where can I go?'"
"I can certainly see him coming back under new ownership, but a lot of things have to align for that to happen."
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Benitez's hero status and conscientious, stoic approach to work could help bring him back to Newcastle, although a fresh start in a post-Steve Bruce era may be more viable.
It seems that any excitement over a return is premature; plenty would need to fall into place at St James' Park before the Spaniard's second coming.
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