"?Newcastle United appear to have done enough to have enticed Rafa Benitez to stay on at St James' Park next season, despite their relegation to the Championship, and he is said to have already begun identifying players ahead of the campaign, according to a report in the "?Mail Online.
Media reports over the past few days have suggested that the former Liverpool manager is incredibly close to agreeing terms to remain as boss of the Tyneside outfit.
When negotiations are concluded owner Mike Ashley and managing director Lee Charnley will have a mammoth task on their hands dispensing with some of their under-performing, over-paid players.
Although the likes of Moussa Sissoko and Daryl Janmaat have had itchy feet since the start of the 2015/2016 season - which perhaps explains their contribution or lack of during the course of the season - Benitez may hope that they can stay and play a part in a special revival campaign.
Benitez has created a unity and camaraderie that palpably absent during Steve McClaren's reign. Now the entire squad are behind Benitez's managerial resumption and that alone could be enough to persuade a few of them to avoid the lure of the British top flight or abroad for one more year.
"I want to be a part of things," stated Ayoze Perez in comments attributed by the Chronicle. "All of us here at Newcastle "? we are going to fight like never before to come back to the Premier League.
"That is our place. We are going to work really hard to make that happen. Hopefully, the team will stay together."
If the side can retain its core, there will be a good chance that the Magpies can bounce straight back up. They have a talented squad - despite this season - and a season in the second tier could be a valuable learning experience for the likes of Perez, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Adam Armstrong.
There will have to be some trimming of the fat, as the wage bill will have to be reduced in line with the money lost out from dropping out of the top flight - but nobody will be devastated to see Papiss Cisse or Cheick Tiote leave the club.
Newcastle will have to be canny with how they handle departures. Already Andros Townsend and Georginio Wijnaldum have been linked with moves, but there are savings to be made on the contracts of other players, so money shouldn't be the driving factor with these deals.
No seasoned professional or manager wants to waste a season of their career in the lower tiers, but Benitez is probably more invested on the idea of building Newcastle from the bottom-up. Once Ashley and Charnley have got him to stay, the hard graft really begins.
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