It has taken them 14 years, but Newcastle United are on the verge of breaking their transfer record with a £20m move for Paraguay international Miguel Almiron, a belated, but significant gift to manager Rafa Benitez, which hopefully removes the threat of a painful summer divorce.

Benitez had been on the brink of giving up, he had reached breaking point, trapped in a loveless relationship with owner Mike Ashley. He had been ignored, let down and undermined in three successive transfer windows.

The manager with complete control of the football side of the business, without any power to change anything.

Newcastle’s refusal to sign the players he wanted, their refusal to listen, has pushed Benitez closer and closer to the exit door, but just as he was about to push it open, Ashley has tried to tug him back.

Newcastle are the only Premier League club who had not broken their transfer record in the last five years, the £16.5m they spent to sign Michael Owen from Real Madrid in 2005 a damning indictment of the bargain basement Ashley years.