Steve Bruce fears his summer transfer budget will be cut as he tries to build for next season.
Profitable Newcastle want to hand their boss around £50million to spend on new blood when they survive in the top flight.
But that is likely to be reduced because club income of £170m last year will tumble, like many rivals, because of broadcast payment reductions and season ticket refunds.
Bruce wants up to four new players and will price up deals for Danny Rose and Valentino Lazaro this week – with the future of Matty Longstaff also high on the agenda.
Bruce said: “I would envisage our budget is not going to be as big as what it was going to be in January before all this started.
"There are big discussions to be had but we are still always trying to go and find another player or two or three or four.
“That’s always going to be my job – will knock on and break down the door because my job is to make sure we are competitive when we start up again.
“There will be a lot of clubs – I was intrigued to listen to Mikel Arteta speaking the other day - we’ve got to see where this leaves us in terms of what we have been through. That goes for a lot of clubs.”
Bruce says Allain Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron have shown the way for recruiting well without huge gambles.
He said: “It’s a difficult league and just spending money doesn’t guarantee you anything.
"It makes it a little bit easier but recruitment is key and certainly Allan and Almiron have improved us at crucial times.
“It’s vitally important that we keep working on that and trying to find a new Allan or new Almiron; that’s the key to it, the success of bringing people in who improve you. In that respect I think we’ve done ok.
“At a crucial time in January the loan signings helped us enormously. And let’s not forget Jetro (Willems), who was terrific for us before he had to go back. We have to keep trying to improve and seeing what we can do.”
Youngster Kell Watts will feature against Brighton after the Premier League approved his call up after loan spells. Newcastle are missing five centre backs through injury.
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