Rafa Benitez will be waiting to shake Andros Townsend by the hand as he prepares to return to St James' Park.
The England international walked away from Newcastle United after relegation in 2016, but Benitez does not hold any grudges.
In fact, he tried to sign Townsend again in 2017, but were quoted a big price to sign a player they sold for £13million.
When asked if he wanted Townsend to leave, Benitez told the Chronicle: "No. I was talking to him.
"When I was here he was a very good professional and did really well at that time.
"When he came here he had some injuries and maybe fans think about the time he wasn't playing.
"He was OK though, he was good for us.
"After that he had the chance to go and took that chance because he was very close to playing for England.
"He said: 'If I stay in the Premier League I'll have more chances'.
"So you have to understand that he is a professional and wanted to do well for his country.
"He left, but he was a good player."
And when asked if he tried to sign Townsend again the next season, Benitez said: "We were talking about names and he was one of them."
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