Rafa Benitez will wait until the dust settles on January's transfer window before re-assessing his future, after revealing he held lengthy talks with Mike Ashley on Tuesday in a bid to stress the urgent need to reinforce his Newcastle squad.

The Spaniard insisted he remains 'confident' of a positive outcome in terms of strengthening his playing staff in the remaining few hours, despite a growing sense that he faces a third successive window where the club's billionaire owner has failed to back him with sufficient funds.

Benitez cast doubt over his tenure when a similar scenario was played out 12 months ago, but remained to guide his side to the Championship title. There is a feeling among supporters that he would have little appetite for a repeat should he again be on the receiving end of another high-profile snub from Ashley.

Benitez had said that he wanted his signings completed by the 20th, after handing the Sports Direct founder a list of targets at the outset of the month. So far, a loan deal for Kenedy, Chelsea's Brazilian midfielder who is set to make his debut at home to Burnley on Wednesday, is the only completed signing. Newcastle's transfer dealings have been clouded by continued uncertainty over Ashley's so far abortive attempts to sell his controlling interest.