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Rafa Benitez says he wants to keep the “majority” of the current Newcastle United squad for next season’s Championship promotion push.

But the Spaniard hinted he will be looking to recruit some new faces who know their way around English football’s second flight if his talks with Newcastle prove to be successful.

Benitez has been in talks with managing director Lee Charnley today and met with owner Mike Ashley after Newcastle’s 5-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur last night.

However, speaking before those discussions, Benitez told the Chronicle: “I want to be sure we are strong enough to come back to the Premier League next year. I think we have a good team.

“Sometimes players don’t perform at the level they can because something is wrong. Maybe it is confidence or bad results that don’t allow them to play at the level they can.

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“We have some good players and we want to be sure that in the Championship we will have the right players for that competition and league.

“And at the same time having players that can be good for the future. It isn’t about young players in the Championship nor is it just about old players with experience.

“We have to find the right mix to be sure the team is competitive and can win.”

Benitez was also asked if senior players such as Moussa Sissoko, Gini Wijnaldum and Daryl Janmaat would definitely be sold.

He said: “At the moment I can’t say nothing because we are still talking. But the idea is that the majority of the players they would stay. It depends.

“Maybe we will receive a massive offer for a player we have to consider but the players know at the moment they have to stay. Then the club will decide little by little on each individual.”

Benitez also re-stated the reason why he arrived at St James’ in the first place.

He said: “When I decided to come it was because of the talent of the players and the potential of the club.

“Since I have come to the club there are a lot of people helping me to do the job. The staff and the players and everybody at every level has tried.

“The players have trained and worked really hard. I have seen the potential and I can confirm what I thought was true, the potential and possibilities of the club are here.

“That is why I am considering staying even in the Championship because everything seems quite positive.

“We have to improve for sure and have to cut out the mistakes but potential is here.”

But he believes that those mistakes will be a thing of the past if Newcastle lay the right foundations this summer.

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He said: “We have to be realistic. The main thing will be to have a strong team for next season but we have to keep an eye on everything.

“We have to try to organise things and guarantee you can grow every year.

“The competition in the Premier League is massive because of the TV money.

“People also know that in the Championship clubs will spend money to get up as soon as possible.

“Everything has to be in place and done in the right way to improve.”