Newcastle chiefs are working on new plans to expand the site of the current training ground, Confidential can exclusively reveal.
A gravel area currently used as a car park and where some staff are housed in cabins has been identified for the planned development, which will increase the footprint of the Benton base and accommodate an ever-growing backroom operation.
We have been told the move should not be misinterpreted as the club deciding against a new training ground, but it is an indicator that a brand-new development is still several years away.
Indeed, we can reveal that the club have taken out a five-year lease on the Northumberland FA building at Whitley Park, next door to the current site.