Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira has claimed Chelsea’s spending under Todd Boehly is making it difficult for clubs like Crystal Palace to sign players.

Vieira said: “Of course, it is not going to make it easy because when the Premier League team goes abroad to try to bring that player, when it is a Premier League team it becomes really difficult because the other [selling] team will think we have the same spending as the other team. Of course, it makes it more difficult.

“But what is important is that we know who we are as a football club and what we can achieve in the market. Chelsea are at a different level and we have to accept it.

“But we can be really smart and we can work in a different way to find the players to fit the way we want to play. When you’re looking at the players we bring in our football club with Marc Guéhi, Michael Olise, Cheick Doucouré, we can still do the same. But, of course, we are not going to be in the same market.”

Vieira also admitted Chelsea’s spending helps to improve the standard of the Premier League.

“I think when you’re on the field it is 11 v 11 and we went toe to toe against Chelsea and we will try to do the same against United,” said Vieira.

“What happened with the spending of those teams is good for the Premier League, so we just have to compete when we are on the field with the quality we have, the ambition we have and the values we have. We will compete and that is what is important for us as a football club.”