Jonas Gutierrez is the only player to have arrived at St James’ Park this summer and Newcastle fans have every reason to be worried when they read that owner Mike Ashley is seeking outside investment to bolster the transfer coffers.

We’ve already read about trivial cost-cutting measures being imposed at the club next season, such as the players having to fork out for their own suits - a drop in the ocean when you consider the big bucks that Mark Owen and Mark Viduka are earning. However, The Independent reveal that Ashley is looking for some big-hitters to appear on the scene and share some of the financial burden with him.

Ashley said of a 100 per cent sale, “That is not true,” before adding: “I would say that I am keen to have partners in Newcastle. That’s a very expensive seat I sit in.”

However, the Newcastle owner does have standards, retorting to a question about the Bin Laden family investing in United with the following quip:

“I think I’ll start with people from Newcastle not in some cave in Afghanistan.”

Jokes aside, it seems as though Newcastle’s robust owner is feeling the pinch in these hard times in which we live. Will Kevin Keegan have just a minimal budget with which to improve the squad? He wasn’t able to spend any money in January and there’s just over a month before the start of next season - how many players will he be able to sign?