Rafa Benitez has shed some light on what he is looking for from his crucial meeting with Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley next week.
The Toon boss says that the uncertainty on Tyneside is potentially costing the club certain transfer targets this summer.
It is believed that Ashley wants to revert to a club blueprint of signing players under the age of 24 and bring an end to the more flexible policy that has resulted in signings such as Ki, Federico Fernandez and loanee Salomon Rondon.
Ashley is keen for players to have resale value but Benitez feels that he can still operate within budget and potentially make things work by having more freedom to wheel and deal.
When asked if the deadlock has resulted in other clubs stealing a march on United, Benitez told the Chronicle: "I don't want to get too involved (in that) at the moment.
"We don't know how much money we have or what the idea is with some players.
"We need to understand the policy that we have and all these things.
"That will be the main thing in the meeting.
"Depending on that, we will see.
"In football, you have to do things as quickly as possible, because if you lose opportunities maybe you regret it.
"Hopefully we can get closer to where we want to be."
Benitez's differences with United chiefs aren't down to personal salary demands or even a huge transfer kitty.
His future may ultimately boil down to whether he is allowed to get leeway on certain deals and potentially bring in a couple of older heads this summer.
He said: "I have enough experience to manage different approaches from different clubs or different owners.
"It's just the way we have to manage that.
"How rigid can we be on this or that?
"If we can find a solution that could be good for the team, in terms of improving it, to compete.
"At the same time it could be good for everyone in terms of the target we have."
When asked if the talks would include demands for improvements at the Academy, he said: "There are (already) some changes in the Academy.
"It would be easy for me to talk about the young players but they have to have the level first of all.
"You have to be sure you can invest in the best coaches and the best facilities to bring in the best players."
Jonjo Shelvey in contention for Fulham clash after Ki Sung-yueng is ruled out of final day of season
