Rafa Benitez delivers transfer update at Newcastle '“ and it's not good

The club has signed three players – Martin Dubravka, Kenedy and Ki Sung-yueng – so far this summer.

And the arrival of Ki on a free transfer has been balanced by the sale of midfielder Mikel Merino to Real Sociedad.

Benitez, United's manager, wants to sign up to five more players this summer.

However, Benitez, speaking from the club's training camp in Ireland, is having to be "realistic" with his targets given the limited funds available to him.

Asked if he had to sell to buy by Sky Sports, Benitez said: "Yeah, maybe. I think it’s normal for us now to be like that. Unfortunately, we wheel and deal – it’s the way for us."

On the transfer market, Benitez added: “As soon as the price goes high, I know we can’t buy them.

“We have to be realistic with our budget, maybe sell some players and then buy some players. We have to adapt; we know the situation."

Benitez added: "Are we happy with that? Obviously, not 100%, but we have to be sure that the team's strong enough and we can compete in the Premier League."