Monday 24 April 2017 23:09, UK
Peter Beagrie believes Newcastle must spend "a huge amount of money" this summer to ensure their Premier League survival next year.
Rafael Bentiez's side clinched promotion to the top flight with a 4-1 home victory over Preston North End on Monday.
They could still finish the season as champions if league leaders Brighton falter over the final two games, but Beagrie believes Benitez will already be planning for the Premier League.
The Sky Sports EFL expert says Newcastle will need to significantly strengthen as several members of their current squad are not good enough to make the step up.
"He has done what he stayed to do and it will be interesting to see what happens next year," said Beagrie. "The club will have to massively match his ambitions. They will have to spend a huge amount of money.
"They have showed they can do that - although they have balanced the books - because this squad is not good enough for the Premier League.
"The top players are - that's lots of them that are - but he needs to bolster that squad and it will be an even greater achievement for Rafa to get a mid-table position next year in the Premier League.
"It will be a case of, 'I've done what you asked me to do, now you back me so we can have a really good go next year'.
"We have mentioned three key players, Jonjo Shelvey, Dwight Gayle and Matt Ritchie. They will certainly feature.
"For all the other players the jury will be out. Even some of the players that have covered themselves in glory with some starring performances this year. That's the chasm to the Premier League.
"Will they be able to attract those kinds of players? With Rafa Benitez at the club they will."
Former Newcastle midfielder Rob Lee agreed with Beagrie, adding the club must back Benitez to help convince the manager to commit his future to the club.
"Rafa will enjoy this but he will have one eye on, will he be able to do what he wants to do with the club? That will be the big thing," Lee told Sky Sports.
"I'd like to think Mike Ashley and the board will back him. We've been through a few managers recently and we've got a manager here that the fans love, that is very good at his job, and you allow him to pick who he wants to pick.
"In January they wouldn't give him any money to bolster the squad and you saw a few cracks there.
"In his interview [after the Preston victory] he said, 'Let's have a look in the summer'. His stock now is huge. He just took Newcastle back to the Premier League so if Newcastle don't give him what he wants, there will be plenty of clubs that will."
Lee also believes Newcastle will need to be more ambitious in the transfer market to give themselves a good chance of staying up next season.
"Next year they won't be able to balance the books, they have to spend big," Lee continued. "They have to spend the majority of the money they get on players.
"Mike Ashley has backed him with £10m players but you have to look at £20m and £30m players now to bolster that squad and even get you into that mid-table."
