Fulham manager Chris Coleman has been forced to accept the club’s days of big spending are well and truly over.
Although there is some money in the transfer pot at Craven Cottage, he is unlikely to ever be handed the bumper kitty enjoyed by his predecessors.
“I think the days are gone when we are going to shell out £10m for a player,” said Coleman, who recently signed Tomasz Radzinski and Claus Jensen.
“We can bring in good players, but the price has got to be right.”
Certainly, the budget is a lot tighter than when Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed first began bankrolling the west London club seven years ago.
Spending reached its peak with the ill-fated £11.5m transfer of Steve Marlet from Marseille, but times have definitely changed since.
Star striker Louis Saha’s move to Manchester United in January represented Fulham’s major move in the transfer market last season, albeit in the wrong direction.
However, it helped securing the finances for a return to their traditional Craven Cottage home after two season at Loftus Road.
“I think the chairman has done it right,” added Coleman, who has already moved to bring in Blackburn striker Andy Cole on a free.
“We have got a good stadium. We are looking to add to it which is good and I think the foundations at the club are strong, which is good and the most important thing.
“While I am here I have got to do the best I can to make sure we stay in the Premiership and we are successful.
“I am under no illusions, though, we have got to concentrate on developing young players and maybe nicking one or two with small fees and there is no reason why we can’t get success on that.”
Fulham continue their pre-season preparations with a trip to Scotland this week, where they will face Partick Thistle on Wednesday and Hearts at the weekend before a final warm-up game against Feyenoord in Holland on 8 August.
Coleman is looking for a marked improvement from their last three friendly matches, having drawn 0-0 with Watford before losing to both Old Firm sides, Rangers winning 1-0 at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
