Opinion: Rafa Benitez is not considering a move to China

It’s a bit disingenuous to insinuate that Newcastle United’s current manager, Rafa Benitez, is considering a move to the far east for a sizable £12m a year. Why? Rafa Benitez has currently rejected multiple offers from clubs throughout Europe as he awaits news for whatever is going on in Newcastle. Remaining with this club is his top priority, and money has never been the issue. To report that Rafa would runaway seeking big money is false on multiple levels.

Even if Rafa were to leave Newcastle United, he would prefer to remain in the Premier League because his family lives there. To be exact, they reside on Merseyside, where Rafa became a coaching legend with Liverpool. Moving to France or Italy would be hard enough, what makes you think that Rafa is going to go even further to China?

While it may be true that Chinese side Dalian Lifang have offered Rafa what would be the largest contract for a manager in China, outlets have only been using Rafa’s past words against him when mentioning that he could always go to China and make a lot of money there.

In 2017 it was reported that Rafa Benitez was making around £4m a year, making him the fifteenth highest paid manager that season, and in 2018 that number did not change. Moving to China would effectively triple Rafa’s current earnings, but at the cost of quality competition and trophies to compete for. He always could have moved to China, but money has never been the driving force for Rafa Benitez, it’s been the assurances currently being denied by club owner Mike Ashley.

I get it. Newcastle United’s current news cycle has come to almost a grinding halt. What we all thought would be articles upon articles of transfer news and takeover business has turned into a waiting game and journalists scrounging for scraps of news. This piece, being the latest bit of trash to hit our shores.