Rafa Benitez leaves Newcastle: Who will be the next manager of the Magpies?
Newcastle are on the hunt for a new manager with the news that Rafa Benitez will depart the club at the end of his current contract.
"It is with disappointment that we announce manager Rafael Benitez will leave Newcastle United upon the expiry of his contract on 30th June 2019," Newcastle said on their official website.
"We have worked hard to extend Rafa's contract over a significant period of time, however it has not been - and will not be - possible to reach an agreement with Rafa and his representatives."
The 59-year-old spent over three years in charge at St. James' Park, where he got the club promoted from the Sky Bet Championship and kept them in the Premier League.
Benitez was a popular figure on Tyneside with fans desperate for him to stay, although there will be a new man at the helm in August.
Here, using odds from Sky Bet, we look at some of the contenders to replace Benitez.
Garry Monk - 7/2
Another manager on the market following his departure from Birmingham this summer.
Monk has previous Premier League managerial experience when he was appointed interim player-manager at Swansea in February 2014.
Since then, he has moved onto Leeds, Middlesbrough and the Blues but failed to secure success at any of those clubs.
Monk's only managerial honour is his Premier League Manager of the Month award in August 2014.
On his sacking by Birmingham, Monk said: "The fact that I am not being given the opportunity to build on those solid foundations is a huge disappointment.
"However, I come away with a great sense of satisfaction and pride at the work we have all done up until this point."
Mark Hughes - 11/2
You can't imagine this would be an overly popular appointment with the Toon faithful.
Hughes has a wealth of managerial experience with stints in charge of Wales, Blackburn, Manchester City, Fulham, QPR, Stoke and Southampton.
However, in near 20 years in the dugout, Hughes' only honour is a solo Premier League Manager of the Month award. That came in October 2007 when he was at the helm at Ewood Park.
His last job came at Southampton, with just five wins in 27 games. Having joined in March 2018, Hughes kept the Saints in the top flight.
That earned him a new three-year deal, although he was sacked in December of the same year with the club sat in 18th in the standings.
Jose Mourinho - 6/1
The Portuguese is out of work following his sacking by Manchester United last season.
Since then, Mourinho has been doing media work and often appears as a pundit for BeIn Sports European football coverage.
He has stated that he would like to get back into work this summer and a club like Newcastle could appeal to Mourinho.
"I would like to be back in the summer in June for a new club and a new pre-season," he told BeIn Sports.
"I know exactly what I don't want. I know what I want, in terms of not the specific club but the nature of the job, the dimension of the job."
What makes this more interesting is the fact that he spoke highly of Newcastle last summer, saying: "I like to go there.
"I like the feeling of going to Mr Robson’s home. I like that feeling. I like the stadium. I like the atmosphere. They are a good, enthusiastic crowd. I like the Geordies."
Mourinho is no stranger to success with two Champions League medals, three Premier League trophies and success in the Europa League among many other domestic cups.
Mikel Arteta - 8/1
Often linked with managerial vacancies in England's top-two divisions, Mikel Arteta is currently Pep Guardiola's assistant at Manchester City.
Arteta has next to no senior managerial experience, although he did effectively take charge of City's Champions League defeat to Lyon early last season with Guardiola serving a touchline ban.
As a player, Arteta had long spells at both Everton and Arsenal, where he won the FA Cup and the Community Shield with the latter.
He was strongly linked with the Gunners job when Arsene Wenger announced his departure, although Unai Emery was eventually appointed.
Arteta is a name known by all Premier League fans, but it'd be a risk given his inexperience.
Neil Redfearn - 40/1
A huge outsider but one to consider given his current role at the club.
Neil Redfearn was recently confirmed as Newcastle's under-23s manager and could well be involved in first-team coaching while the search for a new manager goes on.
However, while it seems unlikely now, there could be a situation where Redfearn may become caretaker, depending how long it takes to find Benitez's replacement.
Redfearn was often called upon to take caretaker charge during his time at Leeds, before eventually being appointed as their manager in 2014.
Should he get the chance and start the season well, Mike Ashley may opt to keep him as manager for a bit longer. It'd be a cheaper option, too, and even if a new face came in afterwards, he'd only need to be in charge for ten games for the Sky Bet market to pay out.
All seems unlikely, which is why he is currently 40/1.
Odds correct at 1400 BST (24/06/19)
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