Rafael Benítez has no immediate plans to re-open contract talks with Mike Ashley and does not seem entirely convinced they will ever resume.

Newcastle United’s manager has little more than nine months remaining on his deal but negotiations with the owner reached an impasse some time ago. Although Ashley would, ideally, like the agreement extended, he refuses to meet some of Benítez’s principal demands concerning both recruitment and overhauls of the training ground and academy.

With Newcastle showing a healthy profit of around £20m on summer transfer dealings and Benítez already warning of a looming struggle against relegation, the deadlock appears unlikely to be broken soon. “The time to talk about that was before we finished the transfer window,” said Benítez. “If we have to talk about a possible extension we’ll talk, but now is not the time.”

In May the 58-year-old spoke of staying “long term” and challenging for European qualification and domestic silverware: three months on, and ambitions have been downgraded somewhat. “I’ll be realistic and say my aim is to stay up,” he said. “We have to fight.”

Last week Newcastle’s manager – who has signed seven players, the most expensive being the £9.5m Japan and former Mainz forward Yoshinori Muto – claimed everything was wrong behind the scenes at St James’ Park. But he cut a calm and coolly measured figure on Friday. If that was partly down to a desire to concentrate on Tottenham’s visit to Tyneside on Saturday, the presence of Keith Bishop, Ashley’s public relations lieutenant, in a corner of the media room, perhaps proved an inhibiting factor.

“I have to try my best,” said Benítez, who is relieved his squad have finally resolved a “distracting” row with Ashley over bonuses. “You have to focus on football. The fans were expecting [me] to be upset but my responsibility is to be sure we have no excuses not to perform. I have to concentrate on bringing the best from our players.”

The window closed without Benítez – who made around £45m on player sales – having secured the left-back, No 10 and winger he craved but, although skinny, the squad is slightly stronger.

“We have to be lucky with injuries,” said a practised politician who has learnt to not only pick his battles with Ashley but to time those fights. “But some of the players we’ve brought in – Martin Dubravka and Kenedy – have quality. And Muto and Salomón Rondón up front could be the key for us. We’ve improved a little bit or at least we’ve brought in players who can do a job. Maybe we can be better but the other teams will also be better.”

Benítez deployed similar diplomacy when his views were sought about anti-Ashley protests by supporters’ groups due to be staged outside the Sports Direct store in the city centre before kick off against Spurs. “I’m not the one to say whether I’m happy or not happy,” he said. “The fans know it’s crucial we stick together.”

That message was subsequently reiterated in a public letter to supporters clearly intended to defuse dissent and signed by Benítez, his captain, Jamaal Lascelles, and Lee Charnley, Newcastle’s managing director.

It claimed Newcastle have ended the window “clearly stronger” with “a better squad now than the one that finished 10th last season” and said “the inference” that the squad is filled with “Championship players” who are “not good enough” is “unfair and untrue”.

Moreover, behind the scenes harmony is apparently being restored. “Now, it’s about us all pulling in the same direction, for the good of the club,” the letter declared.

“This came through strongly in a recent positive call between our owner and senior members of the squad, who agreed that better dialogue … will benefit all parties. The focus should be on unity.

“We know our supporters are incredibly passionate and that passion will be channelled into supporting the players on Saturday.”

A little earlier Benítez had seemed slightly less optimistic. “It’s always difficult to compete in the Premier League,” he said. “The promoted teams have spent a lot of money, the teams who were promoted with us have spent a lot of money. That means it will be very difficult.”