Rafa Benitez has set a deadline of Friday for Mike Ashley to tell him how much money he will have to spend in January.
The Newcastle boss is frustrated that a stand-off in takeover talks between Ashley and Amanda Staveley has left him in the dark as to his transfer budget, especially as his team is in desperate need of reinforcements.
We understand that Ashley arrived back in the UK on Tuesday after a holiday in the US and negotiations with Staveley and PCP Capital Partners will continue, although there is little chance of a deal being completed before the end of next month.