Earlier today we covered claims from France’s RMC, usually very well connected, that Newcastle United and West Ham have both ‘concretely positioned themselves’ for Bruno Genesio.
The Lyon manager’s future is hugely under doubt, with Jean-Michel Aulas, the club’s president, talking about potential changes whenever given the opportunity to do so.
Genesio, not wanting to leave himself completely at the mercy of Aulas, has taken on super-agent Pini Zahavi, and it was claimed Newcastle and West Ham have cosied up to the agent in recent weeks.
Newcastle interest only makes sense if Rafael Benitez is to leave his role, and now there’s another claim from French in that regard.
L’Equipe report the Spaniard has taken on an agency based in Lyon and ‘would be interested in a challenge in Ligue 1’.
The French newspaper have some detail. Benitez is said to have mandated Score Agencies, which is run by agent Alexandre Bonnefond.
It’s claimed that on March 6th, two employees of this agency travelled to Manchester to meet with the Newcastle manager. According to the report, Benitez attended the meeting with Richard Green, described as his lawyer and advisor.
L’Equipe say that at the end of the meeting, Benitez agreed to sign up with the agency, who will represent him in France until September 1st.
It’s unlikely the deal was for them to organise his holidays.
A Newcastle stay certainly isn’t excluded in the French report, but it’s pointed out there’s a real worry about transfer funds and subsequent competitiveness.
Marseille and Lyon are put forward as possible destinations.
