Former England international Chris Waddle has revealed that he believes that Sheffield Wednesday should be looking to sign a player who is capable of excelling in a number 10 role in January.
The Owls are already able to turn to a host of attacking players for inspiration at Hillsborough.
Michael Smith, Josh Windass, Lee Gregory and Mallik Wilks have all managed to produce encouraging performances for Wednesday this season while Callum Paterson is also capable of operating in an advanced role.
Having netted a brace after being introduced as a substitute in the Owls' FA Cup clash with Mansfield Town last weekend, Smith may be handed the opportunity to lead the line in Saturday's showdown with Derby County.
Wednesday will be brimming with confidence heading into this fixture as they have won each of their last three league games under the guidance of Darren Moore.
Ahead of this upcoming showdown, Waddle has outlined an area that he believes the Owls ought to be aiming to bolster in the transfer window.
Speaking to The Star, the ex-Wednesday player said: "I've said to him [Darren Moore] that I think he needs a number 10.
"A clever second striker that can link the play a little bit.
"A bit of a loose cannon type of player.
"I think he [Moore] tried Barry Bannan in there a couple of times.
"Barry Bannan is best when he is getting the ball off the back four and dictating play.
"He likes to pick the ball up deeper and spray it around.
"I said to Darren, in my eyes, that you need two strikers but one who likes to come off deep and one who basically likes to score goals.
"They need someone to link the play and thread balls to people.
"He has tried Josh Windass in there but the one thing I would say that they have probably lacked [is] a No 10 type of player over the last couple of years.
"Darren has got a lot of strikers in Gregory, Smith, Paterson, Wilks and Windass but they need a Peter Beardsley or Teddy Sheringham type of player who can come into midfield, link the play and can open doors.
"They rely heavily on Barry Bannan for creativity.
"For me, they need a second striker who plays up from but has got that little bit of cleverness and can do something out of nothing."
The Verdict
It will be interesting to see whether Wednesday will decide to strengthen their squad in this particular area of the pitch in January.
Whereas the Owls are certainly not short of attacking options, the arrival of an individual who is capable of providing some creativity will unquestionably bolster their chances of achieving promotion.
If Wednesday opt against making a move for a number 10, they will still be strong contenders for automatic promotion as they have illustrated some real signs of promise this season.
By securing all three points in their showdown with Derby this weekend, the Owls could potentially use the confidence gained from this triumph to their advantage in their upcoming league matches.