Benitez must still have good contacts within European football, the signings of Townsend, Gray and Rondon were out of short term necessity with little or no budget. He was obviously told when he took the gig that there were no immediate funds, but come January there will be more some money to spend, otherwise, apart from the antipathy from the fans and the wages from the job (Ok), what was the point?
He must know a RB somewhere in either Spanish or European football that can come in for a few million and slot in and immediately improve on Coleman.
In the same way, he must also know a decent holding midfielder with legs and a solid CB somewhere in Europe that are better than what we have without bankrupting us.
Moshiri and Brands surely must be working with him on targets even now. It can't take that much know how to improve on Holgate, Mina, Davies, Tosun and Gomes surely?
All I want Brands to do is to negotiate the exit of the rubbish, most of which he's signed and leave Benitez with a few bob in January to bring in some players that will instantly improve us.
Between Benitez and Brands I know who I'd rather trust with a small transfer budget to get short or medium term rewards,
While I'm no fan of Benitez, I'm pretty certain he wouldn't have paid 30m for Iwobi or Walcott.