Sky Sports reporter claims Celtic have no chance of getting Rafa Benitez

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Over the past few days the Rafa Benitez to Celtic bandwagon has gathered a bit of momentum. The Spaniard, out of contract at Newcastle United at the end of the season, has long been seen by fans as the ideal choice for new manager.

Benitez has suffered a fractured relationship with Newcastle owner Mike Ashley in recent times. The former Liverpool boss is also out of contract this summer fuelling speculation that he could be set to head north.

Some bookmakers have installed him as the favourite to land the job, and although that often means very little, it hasn’t stopped Celtic fans from dreaming.

However, those same fans received a little dose of reality earlier. It came from Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie who is based down in the north-east of England.

Celtic fans can keep believing, for now

While Downie is undoubtedly a well-respected journalist both north and south of the border, the tweet is just his opinion. It also doesn’t really tell us anything we didn’t know about the situation.

Everyone is aware that Newcastle are in the driving seat with regards to Benitez. They are his current employers and will try to do everything they can to keep him. It’s also well known that contract talks have been going on for some time between the two parties. So nothing new there.

The final point about Celtic being unable to match the Spaniard’s wage demands seems unfounded. Celtic paid Brendan Rodgers roughly £2.25million year (according to the Daily Record) while the Mirror have Benitez’s Newcastle wage at around the £4million mark.

When you factor in that Celtic received £9million in compensation when the Northern Irishman departed for Leicester, it’s not inconceivable that the Hoops could push the boat out further.

It’s worth pointing out that there has been no reported link between Benitez and Celtic yet. It is all paper talk at this present time. However, as the days roll on and the Spaniard is still available then Hoops fans will continue to dream.