Alex Neil insists big-spending Championship duo Newcastle United and Aston Villa have raised the stakes in the transfer market.

The Canaries' relegated rivals have both shown their intent this summer with mega-money moves for reported City targets Dwight Gayle and Aaron Tshibola.

Neil unveiled former Liverpool starlet Sergi Canos earlier this week and the Scot is confident that is only the start.

'When clubs like Newcastle and Aston Villa are prepared to pay vast amounts of money for the Championship then it inflates the price,' he said. 'Everyone thinks then if that particular player is worth so much then so is mine. All of sudden there is a couple of million pound added to every player. There are key areas we need to strengthen and they are where I am focusing. If we have two players already for a position then I am not looking to add a third. I have some areas and that is where all our efforts are. We will be doing business before the end of the window. No doubt about that. I am not going to specify what positions we are looking for but we have a lot of irons in a lot of fires and hopefully something will happen quite soon.'

Neil accepts the new multi-billion pound broadcast deal for the Premier League clubs is further knock-on factor.

'The finance in the game over the last two, two and a half years is going up and up,' he said. 'I read something Big Sam (Allardyce) said during the week about the escalating values and he is right. It happens at every level. Players last year who were £5m are now £10m and that becomes doubly difficult to get them in. If a club is prepared to pay it then an agent and the selling club will demand that type of money. That is the way the game is going. You either join in or you get left behind.'