Mike Ashley vows to splash the cash at Newcastle BEFORE £5bn TV deal kicks in

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has given the green light for a Toon transfer frenzy – to beat off an expected hike in fees.

Ashley GETTY

Newcastle announced a £18.7m profit for the 13/14 season this week

Hard nosed businessman Ashley believes transfer values will rocket next year as the huge new £5 billion TV deal comes into play.

So Ashley wants to complete most of his big buying this summer and has told chief scout Graham Carr to come up with the targets for managing director Lee Charnley to try and conclude the deals.

It represents a change of policy for the normally conservative Ashley who has just posted an £18.7m profit, the fourth straight year that the Geordies have made money.

Now he is prepared to break his own transfer record, the £12m which brought French midfielder Remy Cabella from Montpellier before the start of the season.

It’s believed Carr has players like £15m rated Anderlecht striker Aleksandar Mitrovic in his sights along with Marseille winger Andre Ayew while Newcastle are amongst a cluster of clubs interested in Danny Ings and have also registered an interest in West Brom’s Saido Berahino.

It’s good news for frustrated Newcastle fans on the eve of the derby with Sunderland as their side looks to avoid a fifth successive defeat against their bitter rivals.

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