The problem is that if a player is 'exceptional', they're likely to have offers from more successful clubs, and we can only secure them by paying over the odds in wages to overcome their reluctance. That's the route to trouble (eg QPR)
If another 10-20k can secure the player, why not? It's not as if we are offering wages of 150k, 200k all round. That extra 10-20k for ONE player won't break the club and send us to the same path QPR has taken (full squad of mediocrity ridden with huge wages).