After achieving promotion via the play-offs last season it's fair to say that Fulham are one of the favourites to be relegated from the Premier League next season - on paper at least - but their recent acquisition of Jean Michael Seri suggests they have both the financial backing and the geographical appeal to steer clear of a relegation battle.

Following months of speculation which consistently linked Seri with a transfer to some of Europe's most prestigious clubs, Seri completed a £25 million transfer to Fulham on Thursday in a deal which nobody saw coming. Maxime Le Marchand has also joined Seri at Craven Cottage as Fulham's strengthening mission begins to take shape, and it's unlikely they'll be the last players to arrive this summer.

Fulham's acquisition represents a fantastic coup for the club and a timely reminder to the rest of their Premier League rivals that the appeal of a London-based club is one which is difficult to compete with.

You only need to take a look at the success West Ham are enjoying in the transfer market so far this summer to realise that London-based Premier League clubs have a huge advantage in the transfer market, and that notion is deeply concerning for Newcastle United.

Regardless of whether Mike Ashley is cash-strapped or simply unwilling to invest in the Newcastle squad remains unclear, but one thing has become glaringly apparent from Fulham's recent acquisition: the Magpies will eventually return to the Championship if Ashley fails to sell the club in the near future.

With recently-promoted Wolves also spending huge sums of money in the transfer market there is plenty of reason to suggest that the standard of the Premier League is going to continue to increase in the seasons to come, and clubs such as Newcastle who are financially inferior could be left in the wake of Championship clubs who have get taken over by investors with plenty of cash to invest in new talent.

Not only is the signing of Seri a huge statement of intent from Fulham which proves their owners are willing to back Slavisa Jokanovic in the transfer market, the Ivorian is quite simply a brilliant acquisition who will add a significant layer of play-making quality to their midfield.

Rafa Benitez did a stupendous job in keeping Newcastle in the Premier League last season with such conviction, but he is not a miracle worker by any stretch, so if Ashley fails to react to Fulham's watershed acquisition with a marque signing of his own, the Magpies will be set for a relegation scrap next season.

Newcastle and Fulham fans - thoughts on the Seri deal? Let us know below!