Could budget reports give Newcastle chance at £28m Luke Shaw deal?

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Newcastle United are keen to sign Luke Shaw from Manchester United, but the defender will certainly not come cheap.

With Premier League survival not guaranteed and previous experience probably telling them not to get their hopes up, Newcastle fans are probably not too excited about the summer transfer window just yet, despite the reported interest in some very talented players.

The Chronicle reports that, after failing to land him in January, Rafa Benitez is keen to make a fresh move for Manchester United star Luke Shaw, who currently looks set to set leave Old Trafford at the end of the campaign.

The Chronicle however, did dampen expectations somewhat by disclosing that the 22-year-old already earns more than the Magpies’ top earner, while The Sun’s recent report which suggested that United will be looking for £28 million for the left-back would have also probably been a blow to Benitez.

But perhaps the latest update from The Telegraph regarding the club’s budget for this summer could just give Newcastle a glimmer of hope that signing Shaw may not be as far-fetched a possibility as it may have previously seemed.

According to The Telegraph, Benitez is set to be given a larger transfer budget than the one he was working with last summer, which was just shy of £40 million, according to transfermarkt, and that is without the cost of turning Mikel Merino’s move into a permanent deal back in October.

If Benitez does indeed have more funds to work with, opening negotiations with Manchester United about a potential deal for Shaw may not be out of the question, even if Jose Mourinho’s side are unwilling to back down from their £28 million valuation.

Newcastle fans may be sceptical regarding whether Mike Ashley is ready to hand Benitez a greater budget, but the owner must realise that keeping the Spaniard at St James’ Park will surely become more and more difficult the more times the manager is left disappointed with the tools he has to work with when the window opens.

So perhaps there is a chance – should they secure top flight survival – that Benitez could be left pleasantly surprised with his kitty. And given that the Chronicle reports that he wanted Shaw in January and maintains an interest now he is available, perhaps the Englishman will now find himself right at the top of Newcastle’s summer wishlist.