Given: Joselu good signing for Magpies – but more are needed

SHAY Given believes his former Stoke team-mate Joselu will be a “good signing” for Newcastle United – but says the Magpies need much more in the transfer window to avoid problems further down the line.

The ex-United goalkeeper added his voice to the growing numbers who are predicting issues for the club after simmering tensions between Rafa Benitez and owner Mike Ashley were laid bare in the past fortnight.

Benitez and Ashley haven’t spoken since an end-of-season summit despite the Newcastle chief giving a long interview to Sky, and the United boss feels recruitment has not been handled well over the close season.

Given says Newcastle need “three or four more” but he does feel that the Spaniard will be a decent buy for Benitez, who expects to complete a cut-price deal for the striker in the next 24 hours.

The former Stoke, Newcastle and Manchester City stopper told Alan Brazil’s Talksport show: “Joselu is a player I know from Stoke – I think he’d be a good signing but I think they need three or four new signings, not just the one.

“It’s such a hot bed of football, they live and breathe their football and they’re all waiting for breaking news that Newcastle have signed X, Y and Z. I think Rafa is probably watching the breaking news himself. It looks like he’s in charge (of transfers) but Mike Ashley will be pulling the strings behind-the-scenes and you just hope they can come together.

“People up there have told me Mike Ashley and Rafa Benitez haven’t spoken for months and you just wonder how that’s going to end. You’d think there’d be some sort of relationship formed between the two of them.”