Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez asks Mike Ashley to respect transfer goals after FA Cup exit

Rafa Benitez reminded Mike Ashley, owner of Newcastle, that they were in the last week of the transfer window and that they had not yet hired a single player.

The boss of the Magpies refuses to talk about transfers, preferring to let the club focus on transactions.

But until now, they have failed to achieve any of his goals and a loan for Lazio's defender, Jordan Lukaku, has collapsed on Friday night after concerns raised during his visit medical, according to club sources.

Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez is desperate to recruit players before closing the January transfer window

It did not help Benitez feel good – he gave General Manager Lee Charnley his list of players in December – and after Saturday's FA Cup 2-0 defeat at Watford, he said, "We are on the 26th, so I do not need to say it so much, we have no player here.

Are offers close? "I have no idea," he says.

When asked why his mood was so low, Benitez replied: "A bit of everything, but I'm a professional, so I'm confident we'll do what we need to do and in the end, we'll stay awake.

Andre Gray gives the lead to Watford while Newcastle United moves away from the FA Cup

"But we have to focus and then make sure we do the right things. Now, we have no more excuses for what we need to do. & # 39;

Newcastle receives Manchester City Tuesday in the Premier League, but Benitez dismissed the idea that his team against Watford was severely weakened.

"It was a strong team, strong enough," he said. "We put a team on the field that could win, we did not do it and it showed that we had to focus on one competition."