Newcastle United boss Kevin Keegan has told BBC Radio Newcastle the club needs to compete with the big four when it comes to the best young players.
Speaking on the two-hour phone-in Keegan told listeners attracting young players is increasingly difficult in the face of the bigger clubs.
He said: "The reason that other clubs are getting good kids is that they are competing, paying compensation.
"We haven't been able to compete on a level playing field with bigger clubs."
Keegan has already seen some of the benefits to having the likes of Tony Jimenez in charge of player recruitment and executive director Dennis Wise on board, particularly in the area of young talent.
"We've already got one guy from Italy [striker Fabio Zamblera] and there's two more come in that we can look at from other parts of the world," he added.
"I wouldn't say it's a necessity but I think it's a massive plus if you have a connection with a club or the region"
"I've got the chance to bring some of the best kids in the world over. If we're not finding them in the North East then the club is right to look further afield."
Now in his third spell at the club, Keegan has long been a fans favourite and feels his special bond with the city helped in persuading him to return.
He said: "I wouldn't say it's a necessity but I think it's a massive plus if you have a connection with a club or the region.
"I wasn't being facetious when I said when I took the job that the people outside the region just don't understand it.
"They just haven't lived here long enough to understand how it works."
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