West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis has warned the club's new owner that he will need transfer funds this summer in order to keep the club in the Premier League next season.
The Baggies have enjoyed a superb season in the top flight this term and at one point were pushing for a European place, but are now destined for a mid-table finish after winning just one of their last seven.
Chinese businessman Guochuan Lai completed a takeover of the Midlands outfit last September but despite the new owner having a net worth of around £4.4 billion, the Baggies completed just one piece of transfer business in January, Lai's first window in charge.
"The important thing is being in front of the game, always, with the teams below," Pulis told reporters. "It's that group of 12 or 13 teams. You play every season to finish outside the bottom three of the 13.
"As soon as you start taking your eye off the ball and start thinking something else is going to happen then it can turn around and hurt you. Bigger clubs than West Brom have been relegated.
"We need to be getting better every year and improving the squad. We might not finish in a position where you want but we want to get to cup finals and maybe, one day, finish in that position so we can play in Europe. Doing that takes time.
"You're always going to get criticised by a small group of supporters, you have to manage that, but the majority of people understand what we're trying to do and where we're trying to get this football club."
West Brom are currently eighth in the Premier League table on 44 points, five points off their record points haul with five games left to play.
Neil Wilkes
