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Rafa Benitez has been given a written offer of a new contract by Newcastle.

The Spaniard has yet to commit himself to staying at St James’ Park beyond this season with his current deal expiring in the summer.

Newcastle have made their latest bid to keep him and want to get on with planning ahead for next season once a side up to 35 points after Saturday's draw with Bournemouth are safe from relegation.

Boss Benitez is unlikely to sign another deal that includes a handcuff clause — his current contract tied him to the club, with a penalty fee of £5million if he quit his role mid-season.

The former Liverpool and Chelsea manager is also after guarantees that he will be able to sign a mix of youth and experience.

(Image: Reuters)

He is not against buying players aged under 25 — a business model that the club's owner Mike Ashley is keen to get back to, after recent years in which older stars approaching 30 have been signed.

But negotiations will centre on scope to discover youth players who can increase in value and potentially be sold on, and Benitez’s insistence that older heads are also needed.

The massive impact of 29-year-old striker Salomon Rondon, who is on a season's loan from Championship promotion chasers West Brom, will be cited as a reason to get the mix right.

Newcastle refused to buy the Venezuela international for £16.5m last summer after the Baggies' relegation and went for a loan deal instead.

(Image: Getty)

The club must also convince Benitez they can become established between 7th and 10th in the Premier League's 'Best of the Rest' battle below the Big Six, which will mean buying a player every window in the £20m bracket.

They finally broke their transfer record, which had stood since Michael Owen's 2005 arrival, in January when they signed midfielder Miguel Almiron from MLS champions Atlanta United.

Benitez is in no rush to sign up and wants the focus to be on beating last season’s total of 44 points, when the Magpies finished 10th in their first season back after promotion.