Newcastle slipped into the Premier League relegation zone following a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at the weekend.

The Magpies fell behind after just nine minutes with Pedro finding the back of the net but equalised before the breakthrough Ciaran Clark. Chelsea continued to pile on the pressure and took the lead again with Willian scoring his first Premier League goal since October. Rafael Benitez’s men were unable to score again and results elsewhere meant they moved into the bottom three.

After winning the manager of the month award in November, Benitez has guided his team to just one win in their last ten games in all competitions. Investment in the playing squad is desperately needed if the former Liverpool boss is to steer them away from danger. The result against Chelsea must force Mike Ashley to act.

One man the Magpies could target is Norwich City revelation – Emiliano Buendia. Valued at £2.25m by Transfermarkt, the Argentina U20 international arrived at Carrow Road in the summer in a cut-price deal from Getafe. The 22-year-old has made an instant impact at the club, earning plenty of praise from fans and pundits alike during his short spell in England.

Buendia can play right across the forward line but his best performances have come from the right wing. The forward has helped his team’s cause with three goals and three assists in the league – impressing Norwich fans with his non-stop work-rate on the right flank. The youngster has the vision to carve open defences, averaging two key passes per game, meaning he can be the man to unlock Newcastle’s misfiring forwards. Not only does he excel offensively, but Buendia also loves to track back and help his back four, averaging an impressive 2.5 tackles per game this season (WhoScored).

His performances in the lower division should prompt Newcastle to keep a close eye on his development.

Newcastle fans, thoughts?