RAFAEL BENITEZ has delivered a straight-talking message to supporters expecting Newcastle United to overspend this month by insisting inflated prices could prevent improvements.

Newcastle are looking around for attractive loan deals until the end of the season, possibly with a view to a permanent deal, and are not willing to bow to the demands of those placing huge fees on the heads of decent players.

Benitez knows the reasons for the valuations are a result of the finances flying around English football at the top level, with those in the second tier craving a place among the elite.

But after missing out on Everton’s Tom Cleverley and being told Fulham want a staggering £20m for midfielder Tom Cairney, as well as being told by Chelsea that Ruben Loftus-Cheek is going nowhere, the Newcastle boss is not banking on having any new arrivals.

That doesn’t mean he will stop looking because he hopes to have made a couple of additions to his squad ahead of the final few months of the campaign.

Benitez said: “For any team you know it is difficult to find the right players for your team, for the right price - at least not the players you need.

"We were doing our job before, preparing some names and we had some targets. Then we tried and teams were telling us, 'no he's not for sale', or, '£20m'. You know that is not their value. You have to keep working and find the right players, but it's not easy.”

Newcastle made wholesale changes to the squad during the summer in readiness for the promotion push; those included the purchases of Dwight Gayle and Matt Ritchie during a period of net spend amounting to more than £45m.

Benitez, however, does not think Newcastle’s actions during the last transfer window has made life more difficult for them this time around.

He said: "No. What I will say, which I think is very clear: football has changed in the last two or three years. It has changed because of the money from TV. The prices are going higher, so when you buy you know clubs will ask for a big price. If you sell then sometimes you know you can sell for a big price.

"Then what does it mean? It means anyone who you talk to want a lot of millions for any players. It's not that it has changed things because of the way we have done our business or because we are one of the top sides in the division.

"No, it's because the prices have gone so high that if you want to sign an average player you have to pay big money. If you want to sell then you know you have to sell for a big price. I don't think it's because we are a big club or whatever, you can see small teams have to spend big money for top players also."

Despite sitting six points clear of third place at this stage of the season, Benitez is mindful of how difficult it has been over the years for relegated clubs from the Premier League to make an immediate return.

But he knows a sizable nine point gap – if they can leave Brentford with three points this afternoon – does create a huge advantage.

He said: "If you see the stats, you will see that it is right. A lot of the relegated teams are still in the Championship, because it's not easy. It's important for everyone to understand that we have to stay calm and keep working hard. When you don't concentrate, or are a little bit nervous, you make more mistakes.

"It's important to stay calm. There are seven games in April, another in May. Eight games in the last two months is a lot of points. If we keep the same formula that we had in the first half of the league we will be there.”

There are no fresh injury problems for Benitez to worry about before facing Brentford. He has included Ameobi and Sterry in the travelling party, while Jonjo Shelvey will serve the final game of his five match suspension.

Newcastle have won only one of the matches Shelvey has missed and his manager thought his team would have coped better without him.

Benitez said: "I was a little bit disappointed. The team was doing well. Because of his technical qualities, he can make the difference with a pass or whatever. I think we did enough to win against Blackburn.

"If you play 99 times (like that) you will win. I think we've been a little bit unlucky. We're missing Jonjo in terms of the style of football and the way that he plays, but we knew before it could be like this."

NEWCASTLE (4-2-3-1): Darlow; Anita, Clark, Lascelles, Dummett; Hayden, Colback; Ritchie, Perez, Gouffran; Gayle.