Town boss Paul Lambert says he will look to add to his squad in January but expects money to be tight unless players move on, however, he insists that none of his regular first-teamers would depart unless the club receives a “ludicrous” offer which can’t be rebuffed.
Despite already having a big squad at his disposal, Lambert says managers always want to add to their squads when transfer windows come around.
"You’re always wanting to add, you always do,” he said. "If one or two guys go, you maybe need to try and replace them. Whether the money is there I’m not so sure.
"As I said the other day, I wouldn’t expect to be able to say we’re going to spend x amount of money. We don’t have it.
"If we sell one of the guys would that help? Probably. The club only has one investor, where does it stop? It’s impossible to have that investment year in and year out. It’s got to stop somewhere.
"And that’s why the kids are really important to the club because you have to give them time to develop if you’re not going to go and spend money.”
Fulham are known to covet midfielder Flynn Downes, while QPR are keen on defender Luke Woolfenden but, asked about any potential sales, Lambert says none of his first-team regulars would go unless the club received a ludicrous offer.
"That’s it. If it’s ludicrous then you have to,” he admitted. "You can’t do anything. I don’t think anybody would begrudge that if somebody says there’s x amount of millions for this guy.
"In the modern-day game you can't stop it, it’s really, really tough. As long as the money goes back into the team, it has to go back into the team or help somewhere.
"It can’t be we take x amount of money and then it goes upstairs, you’ve no chance then, it has to come back to rebuild the team.
"The club is a lot better than it was a year ago, the structure is getting better, it’s only small steps, we’re still miles away from where you want to get, but at least it’s in a lot better place than it was when we came in.”
He says adding players at the midway stage of a season can help reinvigorate a squad.
"It can do," he said. "I think if a couple of guys come in it can give you that lift, so if we can do it and we’re still kind of in the same position we’re in and one or do move, or one or two want to go then, it’s something you can look at. But again, a lot will depend on finances.”
In terms of those on the periphery of the squad moving on, he says that depends on who comes asking about them.
"It’s difficult because you don’t know who is going to come in or what other people think of other guys, nobody knows,” he added.
"I guess I’ll need to answer that one when and if it does happen. I’m not sure who will come in for you, you’re never quite sure. "