Mick Martin has sent Newcastle United a warning, claiming they must use all of their transfer budget this summer.
The former Magpies skipper believes after the losses of Rafael Benitez and Ayoze Perez, that the club could face relegation should they not reinvest in their squad.
As of yet, there is no confirmed replacement for either of the Spaniards, with Benitez leaving to China, and Perez moving to Leicester for a reported £30million fee.
Martin fears the worst his former side, telling the Chronicle: “It has to be reinvested. They know they can’t do otherwise. They have made huge profits.”
The Daily Star recently reported that the new manager at St James’ Park will have a £100million transfer budget, a fee that will no doubt surprise many – especially after Mike Ashley only just broke the club’s transfer record which stood since 2005.
OPINION
Martin is spot on with his assessment of the ongoing affairs at Newcastle United. Pre-season has officially started with the players no wiser to who will be taking charge come the start of the Premier League. The Magpies’ squad desperately needs strengthening, and that need could become even greater with a summer exodus reportedly waiting to happen. With the sale of Perez, Newcastle only have two strikers at the club at this moment in time, with fans surely not expecting one of Dwight Gayle or Joselu to lead the line in August. That would be disastrous for everyone involved in the North East, with Gayle and Joselu only managing to score a combined total of 31 Premier League goals in 167 top-flight appearances [Source: Transfermarkt]. That would be the form of a striker involved with a relegation-threatened club, somewhere Newcastle are definitely heading should they not strengthen this summer. Ashley must take Martin’s advice and look to make moves as quickly as possible, both in the management front and squad strengthening.
