Rafael Benitez ‘has proposal’ and taking him from Newcastle now ‘very complicated’

Marseille are, rather typically for the club in recent years, at a crossroads.

They’re not sure who will be their manager next season, and there’s also uncertainty hanging over the sporting direction at the French club.

L’Equipe report on Wednesday that current manager Rudi Garcia, along with several members of his coaching team, extended his contract in October. That deal lasts until June 2021 and it will cost Marseille €10-15m to get rid of them.

The options to take over from Garcia are named as Gabriel Heinze, Claude Puel, Rafael Benitez, André Villas-Boas, Leonardo Jardim, Laurent Blanc and José Mourinho.

Each of those come with their own issues, and some, like Benitez, are considered ‘very complicated’. The Spaniard ‘has a proposal’ from Newcastle United on the table, and the suggestion is he’s continuing to give that priority, even if things have been moving incredibly slowly.

The Newcastle boss has clearly thought seriously about leaving the Magpies this summer, but right now the situation is between the club and manager, and it appears that others, such as Marseille, would be a little hesitant to get involved.