Rafael Benitez is “content” with Newcastle United’s business in the January transfer window.
Benitez was reportedly demanding the club make at least two signings during the window or he would walk away from at the end of the season.
The 58-year-old’s squad is largely the same as the one that got promoted from the Championship in 2017 and owner Mike Ashley had been reluctant to splash the cash, as he had hoped to sell the club before the end of the transfer window.
Newcastle broke their transfer record on deadline day to sign striker Miguel Almiron from Atlanta United for £20million and also brought in Antonio Barreca on loan.
The 23-year-old full-back was signed until the end of the season from Ligue 1 side Monaco.
Speaking in his press conference ahead of Newcastle’s match at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, Benitez said: “Always I use a word that is crucial in life, but especially in football, and that is balance.
“I am quite pragmatic. I am happier now than one week ago. Why? Because we won against Manchester City and we have brought in two players.”
“These two players, they give us something that we didn’t have.
“We needed to fill some gaps in terms of positions and in terms of characteristics of players.”
The Spaniard also insisted there was “plenty of time” to talk about his future at the club following the end of the transfer window.
Benitez’s contract runs out at the end of the season and he has, so far, not agreed a new deal.
He said: “I didn’t say if we don’t sign players, I will leave. I will not say now that because we have signed two players, I will sign.
“We have plenty of time to talk. The most important thing is to concentrate on the next games. My focus was to make sure we had new players.”
Whether Ashley and managing director Lee Charnley can clinch Benitez’s signature remains to be seen, but the manager professed himself “happier” at the end of a week which also brought a morale-boosting victory over champions Manchester City.
While Barreca is available to play for the Magpies at Tottenham on Saturday, Almiron will have to wait a little longer as his work permit application is processed.
His fee finally broke the record the Magpies set when they signed Michael Owen for £16million in 2005, but Benitez has warned he could take time to settle in English football.
He said: “I remember signing a player at Liverpool that people thought he had to work from day one, but I said we had signed him for five years.
“We need Almiron right now, but we have not signed him just for this month. He has the desire, ambition and conditions to do well.”