Newcastle United returning to the Premier League with Rafael Benitez in charge is an intriguing prospect.The Spaniard boasts a wealth of experience at the highest level and is rightly thought to be capable of helping the Magpies reclaim their place as top-flight regulars.Benitez will be eager to bolster his squad with new additions this summer despite guiding them to automatic promotion from the Championship by a comfortable nine-point margin last season.He has demonstrated a clear desire to lure several reinforcements to St James’ Park with talk of the club lining up moves for Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham and Manchester City trio Fabian Delph, Willy Caballero and Eliaquim Mangala.But just seven weeks out from the 2017-18 campaign, the current state of affairs must have Benitez seriously concerned.The former Liverpool boss chose to stay on Tyneside after being told the Magpies’ Premier League comeback would be supported by significant investment in the transfer market.Benitez had reason to believe deals for Abraham and Caballero were all but publicly announced, only for both players to opt for moves to Swansea and Chelsea respectively.That means Christian Atsu is so far the only summer signing having made his loan from Chelsea permanent as part of a £6.5 million deal in May.It’s no wonder Benitez is disappointed – but the ominous situation could be about to become a whole lot worse.The Daily Mail claims the 57-year-old is frustrated to the point where he may consider his ending his tenure at Newcastle unless the club manages to secure other targets before the new season begins.Losing a key figure behind their revival so close to the opening weekend would be a huge blow for the Magpies. Check out how the reports have been received on Twitter.

Benitez is understood to have scheduled a meeting with the club’s managing director Lee Charnley in an effort to resolve an issue that could make or break their return to the top division.

Newcastle would likely find themselves in a relegation battle if they fail to improve their squad in the coming weeks – especially if their boss decides to pack his bags in the meantime.

What looked to be a promising season ahead could become a train wreck depending on who's in the starting line-up and the dugout on August 12.