Have both the brand (CL contenders) and wealth to set/lead the market. Maybe 10. Behind them is a group of 30-40 regular European teams with solid brand strength and reasonable fiscal clout. Given our continuing PSR constraints we now sit somewhere below the middle of a largish group (I estimate 50 teams) of moderately well resourced top league teams without Europe and dominant teams in mid leagues with periodic European football. Put simply we are behind a lot of clubs in the pecking order.

It follows that we can only do business quickly if we are the best option a player has. In most cases we have to be patient and opportunistic if we are targeting a top 100 player on the market as most of them will be hoovered up by better placed teams. We don’t want to over-pay and repeat past errors.

We are better placed than we were but it will take time, some success and European competition to improve our competitiveness and attractiveness to make things simpler.