BRUCE TO BEEF UP TOON ON THE CHEAP

STEVE BRUCE fears his summer transfer budget will be cut as he tries to build for next season.

Newcastle wanted to hand their boss around £50million to spend on new blood, but reduced income as a result of coronavirus restrictions means that kitty will be slashed.

Bruce (above) wants up to four new players and will price deals for Danny

Rose and

Valentino

Lazaro this week – with the future of midfielder

Matty Longstaff also high on the agenda.

Bruce said: “I would envisage our budget is not going to be as big as it was intended.

“There are important discussions to be had but we are always trying to find another player or two...or three or four. That’s always going to be my job – to make sure we are competitive when we start up again.”

Bruce, who takes his side to Brighton tonight for their penultimate Premier League fixture of the season, said the performances in a Toon shirt of Allan Saint-maximin and Miguel Almiron have shown that quality can be brought in without breaking the bank.“it’s a difficult league and just spending money doesn’t guarantee you anything,” he said.

“It makes it a little bit easier but recruitment is key and certainly Allan and Almiron have improved us at crucial times.

“It’s vitally important that we keep working on that, on trying to find a new Allan or new Almiron; that’s the key to it, the success of bringing people in who improve you. In that respect I think we’ve done OK.

“At a crucial time in January the loan signings helped us enormously.

“And let’s not forget Jetro Willems, who was terrific for us before he got injured.

“We have to keep trying to improve.”

Defender Kell Watts will feature against Brighton, but Toon are missing five injured centre-backs.

Bruce’s team, who have lost 11 games on their travels this term, round off their season on Sunday at home to champions Liverpool.