Newcastle United will share an unexpected £83million financial boost this summer after the Premier League were spared the need to shell out on parachute payments to Norwich or Watford.
Both clubs were due parachute payments over the next two years if they remained in the Championship but their immediate return to the top flight means that money will instead be distributed among top flight clubs.
It will equate to around £4.8million per club, which could be added to Newcastle's transfer budget.
And that total could yet go up if Bournemouth, who sit fourth and will compete in the play offs, also make an immediate return.
Newcastle's transfer funds are expected to be limited in the summer after the pandemic crunched revenues substantially. The next set of accounts - to be released in the next few weeks - will spell out the profound impact of no matchday revenue on United.
And with a takeover still on the agenda - and Mike Ashley so desperate to sell to the Saudi-backed consortium - it's unlikely the club will spend substantially, although there is an acknowledgement reinforcements will be required to maintain Premier League status if the deal is still ticking along in the background.
United's desire to be sustainable means their business model is dictated to by the scale of their revenues - so any extra funds will be welcomed by the hierarchy.
New contracts for the likes of Dwight Gayle and, likely, Federico Fernandez illustrate that Newcastle's first priority is shoring up their squad as they look to "box clever" in the summer. Steve Bruce would dearly like to re-sign Joe Willock, who has impressed in his loan spell.
