Newcastle’s summer has been a relatively quiet one thus far, but recent reports suggest they could step up their recruitment drive in the final weeks of the window. 

Rafael Benitez has added three players to his squad this summer, with the permanent signings of Martin Dubravka and Ki Sung-yeung secured and a season-long loan deal for Kenedy. The Spaniard landed Mikel Merino from Borussia Dortmund last season, but the hot-prospect was sold to Real Sociedad after a dramatic fall from grace on Tyneside.

According to recent reports from The Sun, should Benitez pen a new three-year deal, he will given £100m to strengthen the Magpies squad over the course of 3 seasons.

It’s no secret that the former Liverpool boss wants to sign a new centre-back this summer. Keeping captain Jamaal Lascelles will be a priority, but finding a partner for him in defence will also be at the top of his wish list this summer. Now that Chancel Mbemba has signed for FC Porto, the hunt for a new defender should step up in the coming days.

The perfect option for the Magpies could be Swansea City defender Federico Fernandez. Valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt, the Argentine is expected to leave the club following their relegation from the Premier League last season. Swansea are resigned to losing the 29-year-old, who has attracted interest from Russia, in order to lower their wage bill.

The former Napoli man made 30 appearances in the Premier League last year and has been capped 32 times by Argentina. The Magpies are interested in securing his services on a temporary basis to add some much-needed depth to their back line.

Fernandez is a no-nonsense defender, averaging 6.6 clearances per game last season (WhoScored). He also averaged 1.3 tackles per 90 minutes, more than Lascelles. Bringing him to St James' Park makes perfect sense.

Newcastle fans - thoughts? Lets us know below!