Rafa Benitez Admits There Was Very Little Interest in Tim Krul Before Brighton Switch

Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez claims that there was very little interest in unwanted goalkeeper Tim Krul and the club were forced to sell him to Premier League rivals Brighton.

Krul had served 12 years with the Magpies but Benitez sees no room for him at the club any longer and was looking to sell him all summer. Benitez, according to Squawka, insists that -despite the deal being rumoured for year-long loan - it was always going to be a permanent move for the Dutchman.

Benitez said: "No, the reality is that it was done before and at the beginning it was the same. It was always a permanent deal, the way it was structured."

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He added: "They announced it now, so that’s fine."

Newcastle United fans had been left confused as to why he was sold to a rival club in the Premier League that would make him eligible to play against his former side as the two clashed at the weekend. 

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Benitez insisted that he was left without much choice because it was the only club that came in for him - and that was on transfer deadline day.

He said: "The reality is that we hadn’t had too many enquiries about him [over the summer] and then one day Brighton came and asked, so we said: ‘OK, he has to go and play."

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The Spanish manager was then asked whether he could have implemented a clause in his contract with Brighton to make him ineligible to play against the Magpies but Benitez avoided the question and wished his former goalkeeper good luck for the future.

Benitez said: "I wish him all the best – but that’s it, I cannot talk too much about that because he is a player who has gone and who we will play this week, and that’s fine and that’s it."