Rafa Benitez reveals whether discussions with Mike Ashley have changed his view of the situation in Newcastle

Rafa Benitez hinted that the actions would be more eloquent than the situation in Newcastle United, the director of the Magpies emphasizing that he felt "exactly the same" after meeting with owner Mike Ashley before the meeting from the owner last weekend. .

The two men spoke in the director's office at St James's Park after United's 3-0 win over Cardiff City, the owner congratulating Benitez before briefly discussing Newcastle's transfer activities.

Late progress in the transfer market appeared to have been made on Friday, when Jordan Lukaku of Lazio went to Tyneside to apply for a loan. The Belgian left-back has failed a medical examination, which means the Magpies still have to sign this month.

As a result, Benitez still wants his left-back, winger and playmaker to arrive before the deadline of 11 pm Thursday. Miguel Almiron of Atlanta United No. 10 is still his main target.

Benitez, who still has less than six months on his contract with Magpies, has postponed talks on an extension of the contract until the window is closed, the 58-year-old hoping desperately that the club can show its ambitions to the measure of his.

And, although he described as "good" his conversation with Ashley, the Spaniard diluted this positivity by claiming that his mood had not changed after another frustrating trading period.

"I'm exactly the same," Benitez said during his press conference preceding the Watford meeting, at the request of the "happiest" that he had just met facing Ashley for the first time in three months.

"I do not need to talk about what we were talking about because it was a private conversation, but more or less we are in the same situation, we have to wait."

After Newcastle's 4-0 win at Anfield during Boxing Day, Benitez said he was "worried" about the club's future direction.

When asked if such fears had been alleviated now that he had spoken to Ashley, Benitez was content to say, "We are where we are, then we will see".

Newcastle having not completed its transfer operations as quickly as Benitez had hoped this month, the 58-year-old admitted that he would modify the eleventh match by facing Watford in the fourth round of the FA Cup at St James's Park on Saturday. he claimed that he would always name a "strong side".

With respect to off-the-field cases, Benitez again refused to discuss transfers – even though Lukaku was at Benton's training center on Friday afternoon – and he did not commit to either his own future.

"We had a good conversation. We were talking about Cardiff, the three points and everything. That's good, but we're still where we are, "added Benitez about the conversation with Ashley.

"Obviously, we were talking about private, but normal things and that does not change our current situation.

"We just keep working on what we can try to do in the window, and then he was happy because the team won and that's all.

"I think he was very happy. [with the win over Cardiff] He congratulated me, as well as the team, for the result obtained. We then talked about the companies, where we were, but nothing else. nothing new."

Although Newcastle remains on the market, Peter Kenyon's attempts to buy the club seem to have failed, the price charged by Ashley rising to 300 million pounds remaining to be reached.

The billionaire's return to United's last two games in the Premier League after an absence of two months has also added to the feeling that hopes of a takeover are abating.

Benitez was shy when asked when he had discussed the takeover situation with Ashley, simply stating, "This is part of our private conversation."

It's unclear whether Ashley will be at St James's Park for the meeting with Watford, although there are rumors behind the scenes that the owner will once again be on Tyneside – and that this could lead to another conversation with Benitez, too.