Rafa Benitez has imposed a transfer deadline of January 20 for Newcastle owner Mike Ashley to give him the players he needs to keep the club in the Premier League.
The Magpies have lost eight of the last nine and find themselves in the bottom three ahead of Saturday's trip to a resurgent West Ham.
Benitez has the terms of a loan deal in place to bring Chelsea winger Kenedy to St James' Park in January but still does not know his budget for the rest of the month.
And, given the slump in form and threat of relegation, he has put pressure on Ashley ahead of the New Year window.