Report Claims Rafa Benitez to Be Given £100m Transfer Kitty After Club Meets With Amanda Staveley

After a successful meeting between representatives from Newcastle and Amanda Staveley earlier this week, Rafa Benitez will be given a £100m budget to make the improvements he wants to make in the current Magpies squad, according to the Daily Star.

Staveley's company, PCP Capital Partners, are looking to take over Newcastle United and they're hoping of completing a take over by Christmas, ambitions that match that of current owner Mike Ashley.

A left-back, midfielder and striker have been made top priority by Benitez, with the former Liverpool manager also interested in signing a goalkeeper.

During meetings earlier this week, it is understood that Andy Carrol, Luke Shaw and Ross Barkley were all identified as potential transfer targets for Newcastle, with Spanish veteran Iker Casillas also being talked about as a potential recruit at St James' Park.

After gaining promotion back to the Premier League last season, Newcastle spent big to an attempt to bring in enough quality to maintain their top-flight status beyond the 2017/18 season.

Jacob Murphy (Norwich City) and Florian Lejeune (SD Eibar) were brought in for just under £20m, while deals for Christian Atsu (Chelsea), Joselu (Stoke City) and Javier Manquillo (Atlético Madrid) took the Magpies spending to over £35m.

Newcastle also secured a loan deal for Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino. Although the 21-year-old will return to Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season, the Magpies were still forced to shell out nearly £3m to bring the youngster in on a temporary basis.