Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley could be forced to give manager Rafa Benitez what he wants in terms of money to spend this summer following rumoured interest in the Spaniard from Premier League rivals West Ham United.

The former Real Madrid and Liverpool boss will be determined to get the budget that he needs to take the Tyneside outfit to the next level, following an impressive 10th-place finish in their first season back in the top flight.

While they enjoyed a successful campaign, they did lack quality at times – see the four successive defeats they suffered after they had preserved their top flight status for at least another 12 months – and the 58-year-old will want to bring some quality players to St James' Park this summer in order for the Magpies to be competing for European football.

Burnley showed that is a realistic aim by qualifying for the Europa League with a seventh-place finish this term, but with the likes of Everton, West Ham United, Leicester City and Southampton sure to get stronger this summer, there could be a lot more competition for that spot during the 2018/19 campaign.

With investment they can do it though, but the Sports Direct tycoon needs to give Benitez the money to bring players who may not come on the cheap to the club, and it is something that the St James' Park faithful are demanding he does on Twitter.

Here are three marquee signings Ashley must make to take Newcastle to the Europa League…

Benitez hinted ahead of the January transfer window that he would love to bring the Brazilian, who says he was watching Newcastle's games in recent months with his Chelsea teammate Kenedy on loan at St James' Park, to Tyneside.

The 31-year-old has fallen out of favour with Antonio Conte this season and with just one year remaining on his contract with the west London club, he could be on his way out this summer even if the Italian manager goes.

Able to play as a centre-back or in midfield, Luiz would bring some real quality and know-how to the spine of this slightly inexperienced Magpies side.

The Iran international has enjoyed a stunning season for AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie, and it would be a huge shock if he is still playing his football with them next term.

The versatile 24-year-old forward, who primarily plays on the right wing but can also play on the left and as a striker, has scored 22 goals and provided a further 14 assists for AZ in 39 appearances in all competitions.

The attacker has the quality to make a real impact for Newcastle in the final third next season, and that is exactly what they need having only scored 39 goals in their 38 Premier League matches.

With Aleksandar Mitrovic likely to leave and Joselu failing to impress or put in performances that suggest he is ever going to be a regular goalscorer for Newcastle, the Tyneside outfit are left with Dwight Gayle.

There is no doubt that one of Benitez's main priorities this summer will be to bring a new centre-forward to St James' Park, and he should look to make a big move for FC Porto's Vincent Aboubakar.

The Cameroon international is quick, strong and skilful, and he scored 26 goals in 43 appearances in all competitions for the Portuguese club this season, with five of those coming in six Champions League outings.

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