Rafa Benitez drops Newcastle United takeover hint as Amanda Staveley bid falters

Benitez left the club last summer and took charge of Chinese side Dalian Yifang after failing to agree a new deal with owner Mike Ashley.

The 59-year-old hasn’t named the would-be buyer to which he is referring, though Amanda Staveley failed with a takeover bid for Newcastle two years ago. The financier’s latest takeover bid has faltered.

Benitez has told Spanish publication AS: “We had a stage of reflection in Newcastle, because there could have been a sale and a new project appeared. In Newcastle, we were close to home, and this change could have entailed a strong financial commitment.

“However, it didn’t happen, and the previous project showed it didn’t want to grow, because it hadn’t made the necessary investment. Then this project was born in China, which has a great investment.”