Ranking Newcastle United’s summer transfer priorities once Premier League survival is secured

Another summer of excitement is expected on Tyneside if Newcastle United stave off the threat of Premier League relegation this season.

The January transfer window saw five new players arrive at St James’ Park despite the club’s precarious league position.

Several star names rejected offers to join the Saudi-backed revolution while the chance of Championship football loomed but, should Newcastle survive, the transfer market will quickly become their oyster.

The new owners have made it clear that they want to lay the foundations for a successful club off the pitch too, with key appointments in the boardroom still to be made.

ChronicleLive ranks the top five priorities that the Magpies should focus on this summer.

Amanda Staveley has made no secret that the club want to appoint an ambitious, forward-thinking sporting director to take the club forward.

Former Brighton chief Dan Ashworth is tipped to take charge and he comes with enormous pedigree. The 50-year-old is one of the hallmarks behind the FA’s ‘England DNA’ programme, an initiative that has helped the Three Lions unleash a conveyor belt of talent from St George’s Park.

Ashworth’s role at the FA placed him on Man Utd’s radar but Brighton won the race for his services and his stellar recruitment record has seen the Seagulls cement themselves as a consistent Premier League outfit.

The CEO role at Newcastle has been vacant since Lee Charnley left the club in November. Staveley told The Athletic that the club will hire “a CEO that can help us grow and put Newcastle on the map.”

Both appointments are pivotal to the Magpies’ future success. Get them wrong, and the club could fail to propel itself to where the fans want it to be.

The new consortium - and PIF