Steve Bruce has admitted that West Bromwich Albion do not have a list of transfer targets and will have to see which players become available in the final weeks of the window.
The Baggies are still searching for a first Championship win of the season after their goalless draw with Cardiff City yesterday with their struggles in the final third on show once again.
With Daryl Dike out injured and Kenneth Zohore's situation unclear, Karlan Grant is the only striker in Bruce's senior squad but Albion have had no luck in their search for new additions.
Watford beat them in the race for Keinan Davis while Manchester City's Liam Delap is on course to join Stoke City instead.
That leaves the West Midlands club in a difficult position two weeks out from the end of the transfer window and, speaking to Birmingham Live after last night's game, Bruce made a concerning admission about their current situation.
He said: "There isn't a list, there isn't a list, I wish there was! Absolutely we're short.
"but we still have two and a half weeks to go. We'll see what becomes available.
"I've said always that you'll need patience. I'm not going to turn it around in four or five months. We've got some good players at the club, they've been here a long time some of them, the players who finished tonight.
"Whereas Cardiff maybe had eight or 12 new faces, they're completely different, they've been able to change their squad and have a huge turnaround."
The Verdict
At this stage in the window when Albion are trying to get some late-window business done, it's a concerning admission for Bruce to make that they don't have a list of targets.
They've been beaten to the signings of Davis and Delap but it seems they're now going to have to be reactive to the market.
That can work out but it certainly comes with its own risks.
Looking at the makeup of the squad and given Dike's injury issues last season, it has seemed clear a striker has been needed for some time and it will frustrate fans that the club did not move earlier to find one.