Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez has spoken out about the club’s transfer dealings in this summer’s “crazy” transfer window.
The Spanish boss has managed to bring in two names to St James’ Park so far, securing a permanent deal for Chelsea’s Christian Atsu after an impressive loan spell last season, as well as bringing in Eibar defender Florian Lejeune to the club.
However, in comparison to last summer it has been a slow start, with the Magpies having already seen five names through the door at the same time during the last pre-season.
Now, Benitez has voiced his concerns over the huge spending in the top flight this season, and says that a number of clubs will be struggling to compete for signings.
He told the Chronicle: “It’s not easy for a lot of teams because the market is a little bit crazy. We have to try to do our best.
“The top sides have a lot of money. The other teams are spending too, but we will see what we can do.”
Newcastle have seen just two meaningful outgoings this summer, with Florian Thauvin’s permanent departure to Olympique Marseille confirmed after a loan spell and goalkeeper Matz Sels joining Anderlecht on a loan deal.
Young defender Kevin Mbabu and Lubomir Satka have also both been sold, and it could be that Benitez needs to offload some of his squad before the club can secure the deals they want.
However, the manager insists he is working as hard as he can to bring player in to the club, and says that he is even missing taking training to take phone calls over potential deals.
“You have to be on the phone and you are training (at the same time),” he told the Chronicle, while reportedly pulling two mobile phones out of his pockets to demonstrate his point.
The Magpies kick off their series of pre-season fixtures on Friday with a trip to Scottish side Hearts, while their Premier League campaign begins with a visit from last year’s runners-up Tottenham on August 13.