Evolution, not revolution.

My eyes widened earlier when I read a rumour that suggested that Alan Pardew has been handed a £45 million transfer budget for the summer.

Alas it is just a rumour, but it has got me thinking. That kind of money can transform a squad. I doubt we'll spend that much, but if we did it could cause us a problem in my opinion. A hindrance rather than a help if you like. Now I'm not completely barmy, yet, but there is a little bit of theory behind my thinking.

However much money we spend or however many players we end up getting in, we aren't going to end up with a complete squad. It's unlikely we'll see massive changes in personnel in my opinion and I reckon we'll see a few in and a few out. I refuse to put figures on it.

That would be a shrewd move as it would mean that the bulk of the squad would remain settled and there wouldn't be that period where new players need to gel together. Continuity. Evolution of the current squad.

It's about getting the balance right between maintaining our current qualities and addressing the gaps in quality that we have at the minute. Rome wasn't built in a day, and that same theory will apply to our team. It will take time and we won't suddenly turn into a European contender in one transfer window, but we can build on the solid foundations that we already have in place.

Alan Pardew recently touched on something I agree with - that we need some flair and creativity. If we can get those kind of players in to compliment our hard working and industrious approach then we'll do better next season. I have no doubt about that.

So whilst this summer is important in terms of bringing players in, it's also important to remember what we already have. Granted there is some dross in our ranks such as Ryan Taylor and James Perch, but we also have a solid base to build on with the likes of Cheik Tiote, Kevin Nolan, Joey Barton, Jose Enrique, Fabricio Coloccini and even Hatem Ben Arfa.

The key to a successful transfer window will be keeping hold of the majority of those players and adding to them. Easy!

As ever with these things though, time will tell.