Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat says his summer spending is far from finished as he aims to make his current crop of Black Cats stars fight for their first-team future.
Advocaat has completed five new deals since making his own role at the Stadium of Light permanent at the end of last season, and is eyeing at least two before before the end of the transfer window.
The Dutchman believes many of his side's problems during the last campaign came about because a number of players were able to rest on their laurels with their places in the starting line-up assured.
Advocaat said: "We have brought in players who improve the squad. Too many players last season were very sure of their position and that is more difficult this season.
"We have brought in five players and Connor Wickham has gone, and we still hope to bring in one or two players more.
"The most important thing is that you have competition - that everybody has to fight for their places. You can see now in training that that is improving."
Jeremain Lens is expected to join Jermain Defoe up front in his new side's season-opener at Leicester on Saturday, but there will be no place for fellow new boy Yann M'Vila.
The French international is short of match fitness after arriving on a season-long loan from Rubin Kazan this week, and is instead expected to start with the reserve squad.
Advocaat added: "He is a player who has been very much in form for France. He didn't do much for the last two years - he went to Russia for a lot of money - but he knows that Sunderland have given him the chance to do well."
Everton boss Roberto Martinez has accused John Terry of being part of a Chelsea campaign to lure John Stones.
There has been talk of the Barclays Premier League champions preparing a third bid for 21-year-old defender Stones after so far having £20million and £26million offers rejected by the Toffees this summer.
Chelsea captain Terry added fuel to the fire earlier this week when he told Sky Sports: "One day I won't be in the team but Chelsea are looking to the likes of John Stones for the future, so the club will continue to grow and do well."
Terry's fellow centre-back Gary Cahil and manager Jose Mourinho have also spoken openly about their admiration for Stones.
The Merseyside club have not reported Chelsea to the Premier League, but Martinez believes Terry has broken Premier League guidelines in publicly discussing the Blues' pursuit of the England international.
"That is wrong; that is illegal," the Spaniard said of Terry's comment, as quoted in several national newspapers. "The rules don't allow you to comment on players who are registered at other clubs in that open manner. That is disappointing."
Martinez continued: "We have a fantastic relationship between the two clubs. In the past we made our biggest investment in Chelsea (signing Romelu Lukaku). We all know there are rules and regulations and it is something we don't want to see when other clubs speak about your players. It is wrong and it shouldn't happen. As clubs we have a good understanding of where we are."
The Everton manager insisted his club were under no pressure to sell the highly rated youngster.
"The whole John Stones situation has come through the media because a club made a bid and made it public," he said. "We have never been in a situation of commenting. We have a very talented young player who really has the potential to be the best centre-half England has produced, so you are going to get that attraction. That is natural, healthy and very, very positive.
"But a player can make a decision when the clubs say he can make a decision. There is nothing to make a decision on. There is no negotiation. There is no relationship between the clubs in terms of trying to find a deal.
"The modern game has gone in such a way that sometimes there are things you cannot control. But what you can control is your own finances and we are not a football club that has to sell to balance the books. If you think we need to sell John Stones to balance the books, that is not the case."
Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood has refused to rule out reviving a deal for Emmanuel Adebayor.
The Tottenham striker had been in talks over a loan move with Villa - and been given a tour of their training ground - but the deal has stalled.
Sherwood worked with Adebayor at White Hart Lane and had targeted him to beef up his forward line, despite the arrivals of Jordan Ayew and Rudy Gestede following Christian Benteke's exit.
And Sherwood insisted the deal is not dead for the Togo international: "If it can be revived and we think it's necessary two parties have got to agree on it. At the moment there's no agreement and he's a Tottenham player," said Sherwood.
"I am really happy with the four we have here at the moment but if there is something that becomes available and it's better than what we've got then you look to improve. It would have to be some good quality of striker to be better than what we have."
