It is never too early for a crisis at Newcastle United. Sure enough, tensions are already rising alarmingly as Rafael Benítez enters the final year of his contract against a backdrop of acute transfer market parsimony on the part of the owner, Mike Ashley. Meanwhile the club’s internecine politics are capable of making the Brexit machinations seem an innocent playground squabble. Given that Newcastle are in profit on summer transfer dealings, Benítez is predicting a looming relegation battle. He had envisaged having around £45m to spend but has now been told he must sell to buy.

Has the endgame begun; are Benítez and Ashley heading for divorce?

With any trust the manager once had in the owner thoroughly eroded it certainly looks that way, although the relationship is expected to endure until June when Benítez’s contract expires. Ashley wants him to stay and during a rare face-to-face meeting with the Spaniard in London last month offered him a fresh five-year deal. The prospective salary did not represent a stumbling block but assurances regarding transfer budgets and plans to revamp the training ground, academy and under-23 side most certainly did. Benítez subsequently also rejected a one-year extension.

Why has Benítez decided to stick around?

Probably because of the strong romantic streak in his character triumphing over his similarly powerful pragmatic side. Benítez has fallen more than a little in love with Newcastle, both the club and the city. He revels in the fans’ adoration and is excited by the immense, if latent, potential lurking on Tyneside. Furnished with the right backing, he believes he can end the long St James’ Park trophy drought and gatecrash the top six. For that to happen though, a takeover needs to materialise; maybe Benítez is sticking around in the hope someone buys Ashley out. It also suits him to remain in England, and within relatively easy reach of the family home on Merseyside, while his two daughters complete their education. But, longer term, life at the wrong end, or even the middle, of the table will not suit this serial silverware winner.

Might there be a takeover; does Ashley really want to sell?

If a credible buyer emerges – and there are plenty of unanswered questions about the viability of the Amanda Staveley bid which foundered last season – Ashley will surely seize an escape route. Perhaps significantly, the prominent role at St James’ enjoyed by the owner’s long-term lieutenant Justin Barnes was created to facilitate a sale. The problem is the sports retailer will not sell at a discount – Ashley wants £400m – and probably needs a sovereign state in the Qatar mould to step in. Serious bidders, a la Abu Dhabi’s Manchester City buyout, tend to be ultra-discreet so do not rule out waking up one morning and discovering that Newcastle are suddenly under new ownership. Alternatively, it might merely have been a dream.

Surely Newcastle can’t be in a relegation battle before a ball has been kicked?

Well, Benítez fears so. “We have to fix a target to stay up,” he says. “That’s it; concentrate on staying up. It’s going to be 100% harder to stay up this season. Fulham and Wolves have come up and have big money. Huddersfield and Brighton are spending.” Granted, his words may be partly the latest move in a tortured game of brinkmanship with Ashley but, so far, a side who struggled for much of last term before finishing a respectable 10th have not been reinforced. Former loanee goalkeeper Martin Dubravka has made a £4.5m move from Sparta Prague, Kenedy is back for another loan from Chelsea and free transfer Ki Sung-yueng has arrived from Swansea to replace Mikel Merino, a £10m departure for Real Sociedad. The board will not sanction meeting the £16.5m release clause in Salomón Rondón’s West Brom contract unless Fulham pay £20m for Aleksandar Mitrovic. Ashley seems unhappy about recruiting Rondón because the striker turns 29 in September and is deemed a depreciating asset.

Why is Benítez’s right hand bandaged, has he punched Ashley on the nose?

No, he is suffering from RSI (repetitive strain injury) after not only declining to take a summer holiday but rejecting an offer to manage Spain on a temporary basis at the World Cup in order to devote June to phoning and emailing contacts about transfer targets. All that time on the laptop and mobile has played havoc with his hand and he’s also ended up feeling he’s been hitting his head against a brick wall. “It’s not ideal,” says Benítez, who, as well as a new striker, covets a No 10, a winger, a central midfielder and defensive cover. “I was maybe expecting something different. People have to realise we’re not signing the first [choice] on our list. Or the second. Or the third.”

Is there really next to no money for signings?

Considering Newcastle made £123m from simply being in the Premier League last season and were due a £50m broadcast revenue payment this month, the lack of investment is puzzling. Perhaps Ashley – who believes Benítez’s “jewel in the crown” presence could prove the key to selling Newcastle – is punishing his manager for not signing a new deal? The board wants fringe players such as Achraf Lazaar offloaded and the senior squad’s five goalkeepers cut.

What is happening with Peter Beardsley?

Good question. The under-23 coach has been suspended since January following bullying and racism complaints from players, which he denies. Until Newcastle’s seemingly interminable investigation concludes an entirely unsatisfactory impasse endures, leaving the juniors in limbo.