Rafa Benitez has demanded Newcastle United make an improved bid for Norwich City winger Jacob Murphy as he grows increasingly irritated by managing director Lee Charnley’s failure to sign his transfer targets.

Norwich are reluctant to sell the England Under-21 international and have already turned down a bid of around £8m from the Magpies, but an exasperated Benitez wants to test their resolve with a larger offer.

Murphy is understood to be keen on making the move and a second bid from Newcastle would encourage the 22-year-old, who played for the Under-21 squad that reached the semi-finals of the European Championships in Poland last month, to push to leave Carrow Road.

Murphy caught the eye of Benitez when Newcastle played Norwich in the Championship last season and he was also scouted by the club’s new head of recruitment, Steve Nickson, in Poland.

Benitez wants the Newcastle hierarchy to start backing up the promises made to him earlier this summer with deeds and feels it is time for them to start flexing their financial muscle in the transfer market after weeks of haggling – and missing out - on deals.