Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez has cooled speculation that he could look to bring Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina to St James' Park following their promotion back to the Premier League.
The Magpies clinched the Championship title on the final day of the season and Benitez has already called for owner Mike Ashley to match his ambition during the summer transfer window.
Reina, meanwhile, has been linked with an exit from Napoli despite missing just one Serie A game all season, but Benitez suggested that there would be no reunion with the 34-year-old, who he worked with at both Liverpool and Napoli.
"I think there's nothing to say about Reina, Pepe is a great player but above all a leader in the dressing room," Benitez told CalcioNapoli24.
"We missed him [at Napoli] in the year he went to Bayern Munich, now he can make a difference both on and off the pitch. Would I take him to Newcastle if he left? I respect Napoli, as that's where he is, and our club which has a lot of goalkeepers who are doing well.
"We need to be calm, we'll talk to the club and decide on our targets. I have a great personal relationship with Reina, he's a great goalkeeper, but he's at Napoli and I'm sure he's happy there."
Reina has kept 11 clean sheets in his 34 Serie A appearances this season.
Barney Corkhill
