Key questions Newcastle need to answer this summer

WILL A TAKEOVER GO THROUGH?

When it comes to Newcastle’s future prospects, this is the £300m question. Or maybe the £350m one if Mike Ashley is prepared to dig his heels in.

Amanda Staveley has kept herself out of the spotlight since her two offers for the Magpies were rejected at the start of the year, but sources close to the North Yorkshire businesswoman continue to insist she remains keen to buy the club. Does she have the money to complete a successful buyout? And even if she does, will Ashley still be prepared to sell if Newcastle finish in the top half of the table?

The ownership situation will dictate so much of what happens this summer that the worst-case scenario is that the current degree of uncertainty drags on until the start of next season. If Staveley really is serious about tabling a new offer, she needs to make her move as soon as the current campaign is at an end.

WILL RAFAEL BENITEZ SIGN A NEW DEAL?

As things stand, Benitez is set to head into next season with less than a year of his current contract remaining. That is not an ideal scenario for anyone, so the next few weeks will almost certainly see renewed efforts to agree a new deal.

Will Benitez sign? He would be more likely to put pen to paper if a new owner was in place, offering guarantees about summer spending, but for all the recent speculation about his future, the Spaniard remains content in his role. Loved by the St James’ Park faithful, and with his family close at hand, he has enjoyed his two years as Newcastle boss.

That said, however, his achievements this season have not gone unnoticed, and the weekend rumours linking him with Arsenal will have set alarm bells ringing in the St James’ boardroom. Turning down Real Sociedad would be one thing – spurning a formal offer from the Emirates would be quite another.

HOW MUCH MONEY WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SIGNINGS?

Again, that might well depend on how takeover talks progress. If a new owner arrives, they will surely budget for some meaningful spending this summer, if for no other reason than to give Benitez a stronger reason to remain.

If Ashley remains in charge, who knows what this summer’s transfer budget will be. The sportswear magnate has kept spending to an absolute minimum in the last two transfer windows, so it is surely fanciful to imagine him suddenly throwing caution to the wind.

A top-half finish would generate extra funds though, and with relegation having been avoided, Newcastle can rely on a guaranteed income of more than £100m again next season. Will Ashley offer up a sizeable proportion of that sum for investment into the playing squad?

WILL NEWCASTLE BE ABLE TO SIGN THEIR LOAN PLAYERS PERMANENTLY?

In the case of Martin Dubrvaka, the answer will almost certainly be yes. The goalkeeper’s loan deal from Sparta Prague contains a clause giving Newcastle first refusal on a permanent transfer for an additional sum of around €4m, and the club intend to trigger the agreement as soon as possible. Dubravka has already publicly confirmed his desire to make a permanent move to Tyneside.

Things get more complicated when it comes to Kenedy, as Chelsea refused Newcastle’s request to insert a similar clause into the winger’s loan deal. As a result, the Magpies will merely be one of a number of clubs vying for the Brazilian’s signature this summer.

With Chelsea set to change their manager in the close season, there is a chance Kenedy will remain at Stamford Bridge next season. If he is sold, Newcastle could find themselves battling with the likes of Bayern Munich and Paris St Germain to sign the 22-year-old.

Islam Slimani’s situation is also complicated, and at this stage, it is hard to discern whether Newcastle will want to sign the Algerian permanently given his lack of match action.

WILL THEY BE ABLE TO HOLD ON TO THEIR LEADING LIGHTS?

As well as looking to sign players, Newcastle could spend a fair amount of time this summer fielding interest in members of their own squad. In the vast majority of cases, that interest will surely be rebuffed.

Jamaal Lascelles is likely to be in demand, with Chelsea having been extensively linked in the past. Benitez will be desperate to hold on to his skipper, and no matter who is in charge in the boardroom, Newcastle will not be in a financial position where they feel compelled to sell. Ashley is a businessman though, so if an offer of around £40m-50m was to arrive, he would almost certainly consider it.

Jonjo Shelvey has his admirers, but while West Ham were once confident of signing the midfielder, it is harder to envisage him leaving Tyneside now. The same is true of Ayoze Perez, who has been linked with a host of Premier League teams in the past.

WILL THEY BE KEEN TO MOVE SOME PLAYERS ON?

While there are plenty of players that Newcastle will not want to sell, there are members of the current squad that Benitez might be prepared to lose if it helps him bring in new additions.

It was interesting that neither Mikel Merino nor Christian Atsu made the match-day 18 at the weekend, and the former in particular could find himself edging towards the exit door this summer. Athletic Bilbao are known to harbour a strong interest in the Basque midfielder.

Dwight Gayle has led the line impressively in the last few weeks, but Benitez has harboured obvious reservations about the striker for much of the campaign. If selling Gayle made it easier to recruit another striker, he might be tempted to listen to offers.