Birmingham's Lee Carsley has urged the club's owners to splash out in the summer and boost the Blues' squad.
Blues boss Alex McLeish has guided his side to a fantastic first season in the Premier League, with the Midlands side still in the running for a place in next season's Europa League.
However, with nine games left it looks unlikely Birmingham will be competing in Europe next season and Carsley feels investment is needed in the summer to help his side build on the success of this season.
He said: "If you want to be a good Premier League team, then you've got to have a group of 24 players, not just squad players, but all who are good enough to play in the team and help take it on.
"That's perhaps where Birmingham have struggled in the past, they've not gone in that direction.
"I'm not sure if the club have got the amounts of money to spend that were talked about when the new owners first came in but there is definitely a need to keep on improving the squad.
"In no way can we sit back and rest on our laurels and think we will just be able to get by next season without spending."
Carsley believes Birmingham have enjoyed a fantastic campaign this season, but feels the club need to continue to build if they are to climb the Premier League table - even if that means he becomes surplus to requirements at St Andrew's.
He added: "This season has been tremendous, the lads have done brilliantly well, but it can't just be a one-off.
"The gaffer has changed the perception of Birmingham, for the fans, the playing staff, people on the outside. The expectations levels have risen and it's about doing that every season.
"In the summer, you want the fans to be picking up the paper and thinking 'what players are we signing' and 'who are we linked with today'?
"Whether the club would want to keep me around next season in that kind of squad I'm talking about, I'm not sure. That's another question."
"But I definitely still think I have got plenty left in the tank, plenty to offer.
"The main thing is that Birmingham don't just stop, and that's something I first talked about when I signed."