Newcastle United have already pulled off one incredible coup this summer, convincing Champions League-winning manager Rafa Benitez to stay on Tyneside despite their relegation to the Championship, but that may not be their last.

Indeed, having plied his trade in three of European football's leading top flights - La Liga, Serie A and the Premier League - and with some of the biggest clubs in the world, not least including Real Madrid, the Spaniard's connections span the continent, whilst his trophy-laden CV will carry enormous clout in the transfer market.

So amid reports the 56-year-old will be handed a £40million-plus budget for the summer transfer window, we at Football FanCast feel obliged to speculate (admittedly, in some instances quite audaciously) who might turn up on Tyneside ahead of their Championship promotion bid.

With that in mind, here's our list of FIVE huge transfer coups Benitez's vast connections and reputation could potentially seal for the Magpies during the summer.

DANIEL AGGER

Rafa Benitez brought him to Liverpool back in 2006 and curiously enough, Daniel Agger will be back on the market this summer with his Brondby contract due to expire. Above the quality of the Danish top flight yet below the level he once reached with the Merseysiders, becoming a bedrock of Newcastle United's Championship promotion bid could be a project that excites the 31-year-old, especially with Rafa at the helm. Likewise, if there's two things the Magpies definitely need to address this summer, it's their porous backline and a lack of leadership throughout the team. The Danish international could solve both problems in one fell swoop.

MICHAEL CARRICK

Could the prodigal son finally return to Tyneside this summer? The affluent Manchester United career of former Wallsend Boys youngster Michael Carrick appears to be drawing to a close, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season and little more than unconvincing murmurings of a late one-term extension in the tabloids. The midfield maestro may be 34 years old but he still oozes class and would completely walk the Championship, offering Newcastle intelligence in possession that would be unrivalled throughout the second tier. Would Carrick be open to dropping down a division? That remains to be seen, but Rafa Benitez' presence gives Newcastle half a chance of signing him.

JONATHAN DE GUZMAN

Once a shining star of the Swansea City first team, Jonathan de Guzman finished the season regaining his fitness on loan at Capri following a spate of injury problems. A few Premier League clubs expressed an interest in the Napoli midfielder last summer but almost a whole campaign out of the game has undoubtedly reduced the 28-year-old's appeal. Benitez brought the Netherlands international to Naples in summer 2014 and the latter could be keen on a link up to revive his stuttering career. Likewise, with his contract entering its final two years, the coming summer represents a good time for Napoli to sell.

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MARTIN ODEGAARD (loan)

Should Real Madrid feel any sympathy for the manager they harshly axed after just six months, they may be open to lending Rafa Benitez their most exciting youngster in midfield prodigy Martin Odegaard. Compared to David Silva and Lionel Messi and already capped nine times for Norway at senior level, the 17-year-old is a real talent who could well make a mockery of the Championship's cumbersome defending. Having spent the season with Castilla, a Magpies move would represent a step up for the teenage wizz-kid and a chance to challenge himself at a higher level. That being said, the physical intensity of the second tier could prove too much for the slender starlet.

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LOIC REMY

Loic Remy is well acquainted with life on Tyneside, having netted 14 times on loan at Newcastle during 2013/14, and plies his trade with one of Rafa Benitez' former clubs in Chelsea. The France international will be well aware he's too good for the Championship, boasting a consistently potent scoring record at top flight level and possessing scintillating pace, but his career has taken a nosedive since moving to Stamford Bridge and he's now 29 years of age. Always received fondly by the Toon Army, a permanent switch to St. James' Park will make Remy feel loved again - and he'd wreak absolute havoc in the second tier.

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