The market is crazy - Benitez

Rafael Benitez says a "crazy" transfer market is hindering his attempts to bring players to Newcastle United for the new Premier League season.

Despite club owner Mike Ashley pledging to make "every last penny the club generates" available for fresh faces, Benitez has brought in only two new players.

Defender Florian Lejeune arrived from Eibar for a reported fee of £8.7million, while Christian Atsu joined on a permanent deal from Premier League champions Chelsea for £6m after a successful loan spell last season.

With Premier League clubs again splashing the cash from a bumper TV deal, the Magpies boss Benitez accepted it has been difficult for newly-promoted Newcastle.

"The top sides have a lot of money and the others are spending too," Benitez said at the club's 1892 Foundation Cup event.

"It's not easy for a lot of teams because the market is a little bit crazy. We have to try to do our best.

Florian Lejeune on Rafa Benítezhttps://t.co/6ib8RUCaiw #NUFC pic.twitter.com/aYkYKEfx1O

— Rafa Benitez Web (@rafabenitezweb) 5 de julio de 2017

"We know where we are - that is not ideal because everybody wants to see a lot of players signing already - but we have to keep working and see what we can do.

"We can do nothing other than just keep working to find the players that we want, and hopefully we can do it."