Eddie Howe will rightly not publicly tolerate such talk, but those in power at Newcastle United can now start planning for next season in the Premier League. The Magpies have reached the magical 40-point mark, and it will take an unlikely revival from several relegation rivals to even threaten United's top-flight status.
The battle for survival over recent months has not stopped the steady stream of summer transfer speculation. January's spend in excess of £90m has whet the appetite of supporters, even if there have been several cautions issued to lower expectations of a substantial overhaul.
Newcastle have improved significantly in the calendar year, yet cases can still be made to strengthen in all areas. Attack is one position which most would agree upon, with Callum Wilson's injury record leaving Dwight Gayle as the only alternative to Chris Wood up front.
Miguel Almiron was rewarded for his recent upturn in form with a stunning midweek winner against Crystal Palace, but it was the Paraguay's international first club goal in 39 matches. Allan Saint-Maximin's best scoring campaign in black-and-white so far has yielded five goals, and Ryan Fraser and Jacob Murphy have contributed a further three.
The failed deadline-day move for Hugo Ekitike and ongoing reports indicate Newcastle remain in the market for a promising young forward. It is against this backdrop in which the intriguing revelation over Ayoze Perez's interest in a return has recently emerged.
The former Newcastle forward followed Rafa Benitez out of the exit door in the summer of 2019, leaving for Leicester City in a £30m deal. It has been far from plain sailing for Perez with the former Premier League champions, but an FA Cup winner's medal and consistent European football have vindicated the attacker's decision.
Shortly after signing for the Foxes, Perez told the Athletic: “Things could be done better over there at Newcastle, but Leicester have given me the opportunity to do great things hopefully. There’s big ambition.
"I think how football works, the way you have to look at football, that’s the difference between Leicester and Newcastle. There is big motivation here to keep growing and to get better here at Leicester. I didn't feel they had it at Newcastle."
Perez returned to St James' Park last weekend as something of the forgotten man under Brendan Rodgers. There were some boos from the home crowd to accompany his 60th-minute substitution, although it is likely these were also aimed at his replacement James Maddison.
Bruno Guimaraes' stoppage-time winner handed the Magpies a fifth straight home win, and it was a St James' Park atmosphere Perez will hardly have experienced during his five-year stint. Given his current struggles at Leicester and Newcastle's rejuvenation, it is no wonder the forward would be receptive to a return.
Those dismissing the prospect out of hand would do well to remember that Perez finished as top scorer in his final two seasons with Newcastle. The tally of 13 goals in the 2018/19 campaign has not been matched since his exit.
Perez is set to enter the final year of his four-year deal at the King Power Stadium, and the forward's lack of minutes this season suggests Leicester could be open to a deal. If funds for the first stage of Newcastle's rebuild are limited, there is a case to be made that the attacker could represent an affordable squad upgrade.
But there are also reasons against a summer swoop for an out-of-form forward set to celebrate his 29th birthday this summer. Chief among them is his diminished returns with the Foxes, with Perez contributing 12 goals and 11 assists over the last three seasons.
Rodgers' was confident enough to stake £30m on the former Newcastle man, but the latest St James' Park return was the attacker's first Premier League start since Boxing Day. It has been seven months since Perez last found the back of the net.
Newcastle's predicament in January convinced the owners' to invest in proven Premier League performers such as Dan Burn, Kieran Trippier and Wood. All three have delivered, but their respective ages mean the club will not expect a financial return on their investments.
In Bruno Guimaraes, the consortium have almost identified the perfect signing profile. The Brazil international evidently has the ambition and quality to grow through each stage of the Tyneside rebuild.
Perez would represent an affordable short-term fix, but there are too many question marks against a sentimental return. The budget signing from Tenerife was one of the few bright spots of the latter years of the Mike Ashley era, but that chapter of Newcastle's history is now closed.
Darwin Nunez is one of the more ambitious names linked this summer, although the Benfica forward is said to be interesting a host of Europe's elite. This profile of a young, proven goalscorer with the scope to improve has led to talk of another potential return for a former Newcastle forward.
Ivan Toney was sold to Peterborough United in the summer of 2018, with former boss Rafa Benitez unconvinced of the striker's ability to play at the top level. Prolific spells at London Road and with Brentford have followed, and a recent report suggests the 26-year-old is keen to move to a bigger club this summer.
Newcastle would likely have to spend in excess of £30m to recruit a player sold for less than £1m just four years ago. Concerns have been raised over recent social media videos, but Toney is currently level with Harry Kane as the top-scoring English striker in the divison.
Ekitike, Nunez and now Toney. The latest link is a reminder of the profile of forward Newcastle are now in the market for, and one that suggests any plea from Perez for a return will likely fall upon deaf ears.
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