Five players Newcastle United should target this summer ahead of their Premier League return

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Newcastle United are back in the Premier League and they will need to invest this summer to ensure they won’t be facing a relegation battle.

Under Rafa Benitez, the Magpies will be a different and more difficult proposition, as he is a winner and won’t settle for mediocrity.

Their problem during their last spell in the top flight was the lack of ambition and the ‘stepping stone’ mentality that the club took on. That created an environment which allowed certain players to become complacent and only play well when they chose to.

To succeed this time around, they will need to target the right sort of characters with the talent required to thrive in the Premier League.

Here are five players that they should target this summer…

Pepe Reina – Napoli

The Spanish goalkeeper has been linked, by the Liverpool Echo, with a move to Newcastle in recent weeks and it may be a rumour that has been created based on his relationship with Benitez, but he would be an excellent signing.

Newcastle have four first-team goalkeepers at the club in Tim Krul, Karl Darlow, Rob Elliot and Matz Sels. It is likely that one or two will leave St James’ Park and the talk around the club is that Benitez isn’t convinced that any of them can be the team’s number one in the Premier League.

He wants a keeper that can launch attacks with his feet and they don’t currently have a reliable distributor.

Reina would solve a lot of those issues and provide a good short-term solution for Newcastle’s number one shirt. He has plenty of experience and would provide a winning mentality that is currently lacking at the club.

Benitez will know what he is getting for his money and he remains a very good goalkeeper as he showed with Napoli during the most recent season. The Italian club would be willing sellers and he would represent a big-name signing for the new era at St James’ Park.