Crystal Palace have strengthened their scouting network in a bid to emulate the success of the likes of West Ham and Southampton in the transfer market.

Palace have hired scouts to work in Belgium, France and Spain as part of improvements to their recruitment department as chairman Steve Parish looks to move for players from abroad this summer.

Parish has been impressed by some of the shrewd signings made by West Ham, such as Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini last summer. Both players have proved their quality in the Premier League this season.

Parish expects transfer fees to reach unprecedented levels this summer but believes clubs will “try and get smarter in their spending”.

Deloitte Football Money League Top Twenty 20 show all Deloitte Football Money League Top Twenty 1/20 Real Madrid: £439m 2/20 Barcelona: £426.6m 3/20 Manchester United: £395.2m 4/20 Paris Saint-Germain: £365.8m 5/20 Bayern Munich - £360.6m 6/20 Manchester City - £352.6m 7/20 Arsenal - £331.3m 8/20 Chelsea - £319.5m 9/20 Liverpool - £298.1m 2015 Getty Images 10/20 Juventus - £246.4m 2015 Getty Images 11/20 Borussia Dortmund - £213.5m 12/20 Tottenham Hotspur - £195.9m 13/20 Schalke - £167.1m 2016 Getty Images 14/20 AC Milan - £151.5m 15/20 Atletico Madrid - £142.3m 16/20 Roma - £137.2m 17/20 Newcastle - £128.8m 18/20 Everton - £125.6m 19/20 Inter - £125.4m 20/20 West Ham - £122.4m 1/20 Real Madrid: £439m 2/20 Barcelona: £426.6m 3/20 Manchester United: £395.2m 4/20 Paris Saint-Germain: £365.8m 5/20 Bayern Munich - £360.6m 6/20 Manchester City - £352.6m 7/20 Arsenal - £331.3m 8/20 Chelsea - £319.5m 9/20 Liverpool - £298.1m 2015 Getty Images 10/20 Juventus - £246.4m 2015 Getty Images 11/20 Borussia Dortmund - £213.5m 12/20 Tottenham Hotspur - £195.9m 13/20 Schalke - £167.1m 2016 Getty Images 14/20 AC Milan - £151.5m 15/20 Atletico Madrid - £142.3m 16/20 Roma - £137.2m 17/20 Newcastle - £128.8m 18/20 Everton - £125.6m 19/20 Inter - £125.4m 20/20 West Ham - £122.4m

“You can see that in the way people are buying abroad,” he said. “Looking at the likes of West Ham and Southampton, who have done very well in the market in the last couple of years, and trying to emulate their way of working and the success they have been getting.

“We were pleased what we did in the transfer market last year with players like Pape Souare. We have really beefed up the scouting department this year and hopefully that will bear fruits.”

The Premier League is set to release the new £8billion TV windfall before the summer transfer window. Parish said: “It is extraordinary money. You think nothing now when talking about £40-60million players. We are not at that level but we can go after more unexposed talents.”