Newcastle owner Mike Ashley will only invest a significant sum of money in the January transfer window if he believes the Magpies are in genuine danger of relegation, according to journalist Chris Waugh.
Rafael Benitez's men sit 19th in the Premier League table and are still without a victory after eight league games this season, with the manager at odds with the club hierarchy over transfer funds.
In a Q&A on Friday, Waugh, a reporter for the Magpies in The Chronicle, indicated that Ashley, whose attendance at recent matches hasn't gone unnoticed, only cares about the side's Premier League survival and would only inject a considerable amount to help the side battle relegation, drawing similarities to previous campaigns in 2013, when they finished 16th, and 2016, when they were ultimately relegated.