Norwich City manager Dean Smith has warned the new owners at Newcastle United that the club shouldn’t expect to buy their way out of the relegation zone in January.
The Canaries travel to St James’ Park tonight in what is crucial relegation six-pointer between the two sides.
Despite only 13 games being played in the Premier League, the clash is effectively a must-win game for the winless Magpies.
Following Newcastle’s takeover from a Saudi-led consortium, it is expected that Eddie Howe will be given funds to bring in an injection of quality in the January transfer window.
However, Smith, who took over at Carrow Road from Daniel Farke, following his own sacking at Aston Villa, doesn’t believe the world’s richest club can assume that spending money will guarantee them Premier League safety.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Smith said “It is always difficult to think you can buy your way out of any position or into any position.
“You bring players into a squad and first of all, they have to go and settle in, there is an integration that they have to go get settled into.
“Certainly if they are not British-based players or tasted the Premier League before, there is a newness about everything.
“The Premier League as we all know is a very talented league and every club gives you a challenge, so it is very difficult to buy a place in the top six or out of the bottom three.”
A win over Smith’s men would take us onto nine points, the same as Norwich and Burnley, and three points off Leeds in 17th place.
However, a defeat against the side who sit 19th could leave Newcastle as many as nine points off safety with just 24 league games left to play.
Newcastle have already tasted defeat at the hands of Smith this season, after losing the second Premier League game of the new campaign, 2-0 at Aston Villa.
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