The Rafa Benitez to Newcastle rumours just won't seem to go away, will they?

The Spaniard left St James' Park back in the summer of 2019, with the club releasing a statement that despite working hard to extend his contract, they couldn't reach an agreement with him.

And despite it being well over a year since he made his exit, his name still continues to be a major talking point on Tyneside, and his latest interview during the week once again opened up a tonne of speculation over a potential return.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues Show, Benitez said: "When I left Newcastle I was waiting until the last minute for a takeover but obviously it didn't happen. I have a very clear idea that in the situation it was impossible to stay, even if I was really pleased and really happy there.

"So with all of these things in your head, if I decided to stay when we had no money, imagine with a takeover. At the moment I have a lot of respect because I have a job and I am very grateful to Dalian and Wanda but the Premier League is a target for me."

As the former Magpies boss says himself, he worked under a set of very strict financial restrictions at St James' Park, and it really is a case of 'what if?' in terms of just what he could have achieved had he been given some extra backing.

Newcastle's outlay after Steve Bruce's arrival, both last summer and the one just got by, shows that Mike Ashley may be loosening the purse strings ever so slightly, whilst a takeover is still also on the cards.

Many of the players at the club have already worked with him before, with Matt Ritchie admitting that his work was "unbelievable", particularly tactically.

Described as someone who did miracles in his first stint as Newcastle boss by Ian Wright, just imagine what Benitez could do with the whole club pushing in the same direction as him.