Martin O'Neill is preparing to launch a late spending spree with Aston Villa before the transfer window closes despite admitting clubs are constantly "moving the goalposts."
O'Neill is understood to be lining up an increased bid of £8 million for West Brom central defender Curtis Davies with just a week to go before the window is shut until January.
He has several other targets and, having released seven players this summer and signed only three in Nigel Reo-Coker, Marlon Harewood and Scott Carson, is keen to redress the balance by next Friday.
But O'Neill, whose side entertain Fulham on Saturday, admitted the days of negotiating straightforward deals have gone for ever although he is ready to pay over the odds for players of the right age and quality.
He said: "It is difficult to bring players in because goalposts are being moved. There is a fair element of that. We've identified a number of people I'm still hopeful of bringing into the club but things do change.
"With the new TV deal people think Premiership teams are awash with money. I do not mind paying what I would consider paying a fair price or even more than a fair price if I thought we were going to get value from a player.
"Last January I was told £8 million was a lot of money for Ashley Young. Now it is looking quite okay. I don't mind doing that if the players are at an age that you feel you are going to get value out of them.
"But sometimes you get a figure out of a club and then sometimes it changes depending on how they feel on any particular morning.
"You want to try and do a deal as straightforwardly as you possibly can but I don't think there is anything straightforward about things these days."
O'Neill added: "I would think we should still be able to get the squad up to the level of what I want. But I don't know how much I will be spending. I honestly don't.
"The owner Randy Lerner is supportive, leaving as much to me as possible. He has some trust in what I'm trying to do but he is well aware I don't also want to bankrupt the football club.
O'Neill has no fresh injury problems after the mid-week internationals and is hoping striker John Carew will reap the benefits of his two-goal blast for Norway against Argentina.
