Newcastle United transfers: Miguel Almiron, Andreas Samaris and Antonio Barreca lined up to stop Rafael Benitez walking out

Benitez had hinted he could leave the club, seemingly forcing Mike Ashley's hand

Newcastle United have pushed ahead for three incomings in order to try and keep manager Rafael Benitez from walking away from the club.

Negotiations have advanced to bring in Miguel Almiron, Andreas Samaris and Antonio Barreca ahead of Thursday's deadline, a day after it was revealed Benitez could leave Newcastle for nothing.

Paraguayan forward Almiron has long been linked to the Magpies but the club had spent much of January frustrating Atlanta United with lowball offers for one of their star players as they held out for £25m.

Reigning champions in Major League Soccer , Atlanta weren't desperate to sell Almiron but in the end have found themselves with too many Designated Players per MLS rules. Designated Players are high-value footballers who fall outside each team's salary cap allowance, and Atlanta's purchase of River Plate playmaker Pity Martinez had taken them to four DPs when league rules allow just three.

It meant that either league MVP Jozef Martinez, from Venezuela, Argentina's Ezequiel Barco or Paraguay international Almiron would have to leave.

And with Almiron keen on pushing through a move to Europe, the news that Newcastle had returned to the negotiating table was welcomed by those in Georgia, where local reports state that a deal has been agreed and the player is flying to England for a medical.

Loan deals for veteran Benfica midfielder Samaris - who has been offered to much of the Premier League this month - and Barreca, a 23-year-old full-back, have also advanced. Barreca was a contingency plan after Lazio's Jordan Lukaku failed a medical.

Mike Ashley has been reluctant to invest in Newcastle's personnel with the club still up for sale but, facing the loss of Benitez and a potential relegation, it appears he has sanctioned drastically needed moves to improve the playing squad.

Benitez's contract at St James’ Park ends this summer and the Spaniard is already able to walk away for nothing, with the penalty clause that would have seen him have to pay £6million to quit the club now invalid, according to sources close to the Newcastle boss.

“What I have to give back to the fans is this: I am a professional, I will work hard and I will try to do my best," he said on Monday.

Benitez was asked why Newcastle had reached the 28th of January, deep in a relegation fight, and had not strengthened.

“It’s not a question for me,” he replied. “The way things are going on here, I can say yes or not to the proposals that I receive. I can give some names but I don’t do any negotiations, anything. In the end I can say yes or not so you give me this or that I can choose one or the other one. That’s it. I can say yes if we need that.”

He was then asked if he would quit if no new players arrived. “We will wait until Thursday and see what happens,” he said.