RAFAEL BENITEZ is prepared to put talk of a new contract on hold until after he has witnessed whether Mike Ashley can deliver on his promise of new players at Newcastle United.

Benitez - hopeful of sealing a loan deal for Chelsea winger Kenedy in the next 24 hours -  is pressing ahead with his plans to bring in fresh faces and has managing director Lee Charnley working on a list of targets he has handed to him.

Ashley has assured the Newcastle manager that he can bring in a number of players before the January transfer window closes next week after the collapse of takeover negotiations with Dubai-based financier Amanda Staveley.

Benitez is desperate for a couple of new forwards, a winger and a full-back at least. He had been told he could bring in three loan signings before last week’s confirmation that Staveley’s bid to buy the club had been unsuccessful.

After 12 months of frustrations on the transfer front, dating back to last January when the Spaniard felt he should have been allowed to bring in Andros Townsend, Benitez is adamant Newcastle can’t afford to miss out this time around.

Saturday evening’s defeat at Manchester City has left the Magpies sitting just a point above the relegation zone and he has always maintained he needs a number of new players this month to boost the fight to stay in the Premier League.

Liverpool strikers Danny Ings and Daniel Sturridge are known to have been on the radar, while Everton’s Sandro Ramirez is being considered too.

Reports in Turkey, where Benitez is known to have been looking having tried to sign Everton’s Cenk Tosun from Besiktas, have claimed he is battling with Stoke City for Galatasaray midfielder Badou Ndiaye. The Potters are prepared to pay £16m, which would match Newcastle’s current transfer record.

Torino’s attacking full-back Bruno Peres is another in mind, with the Italian club looking for around £6m for the player who was targeted by Bayern Munich a couple of years ago. He has lost his way in recent times and only started six games this season.

Ashley has indicated that to Benitez that he can press ahead on the transfer front but supporters are doubtful after a number of frustrating transfer windows during the sportswear tycoon’s 11 years at St James’ Park.

Such frustrations have been felt by Benitez during his near-two years in charge, and that is why he does not see any point in rushing into talks over a contract extension. He still has 18 months on his existing deal and feels this transfer window is far more important than contract talks at this stage.

Newcastle are known to have made a substantial offer for an unnamed striker in recent days, while they are expecting to have Kenedy signed and sealed within the next couple of days after Chelsea finally edged closer to sanctioning the agreement which was broadly in place at the start of the month. 

Benitez has given Charnley a number of options on the transfer front because he does not want to be left short and have no new arrivals in before the end of the month.

He had already indicated over the festive period that he wanted his squad in place for the rest of the season by January 20. Having gone beyond that date without signing a single player he has admitted the “pressure” is on to get deals done.

Newcastle face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday and Kenedy would have faced Benitez’s team in that game after playing a key role in the previous round’s win over Norwich.