Cardiff City boss Dave Jones has been given the okay to search for a striker with the club desperately short of attacking options following the sale of Peter Thorne this summer and Rob Earnshaw last summer.
The Championship club are at the very limit of their playing budget, however, after struggling to score goals last season, a striker is a must for Jones, who had he acted earlier could have had Spanish hit-man Juan Ugarte who had publically stated his desire to play for Cardiff after meetings with former Bluebirds boss Lennie Lawrence.
Club owner Sam Hammam has slashed the annual wages budget by more than half to around £4m but admits: "We don't have the budget for more players, but we need a 20-goals-a-season striker.
"We have dropped over £4m from our budget, looking back to early last season, but certainly we still need a striker. In a perfect world we would need two more strikers and one defender, but we'll have to wait and see.
"Peter Ridsdale and I are trying to raise money in the short-term.
"If the stadium started that would be no problem, but we have had to ensure that we can perform in any situation that arises.
"With me there is only one way. I will push the envelope every time. I put myself under pressure. If you want to be the absolute best you have to be under pressure."
Cardiff City has undergone a major transformation since Jones replaced Lawrence as coach in the summer with nine players signing in recent weeks and a new coaching staff moving in.
Changes not only in the playing and coaching squad, but also behind the scenes with former Leeds United supremo Peter Risdale installed as deputy Chairman.
Hammam explained|: "It's a brand new club.
"We have the management team, the football team, but there are still quite a few things to do.
"One of them is signing a striker."
We understand Jones' transfer kitty for the summer was £600,000, and despite having to pay for Darren Purse from West Brom and Kevin Cooper from Wolves, there is still some money available.
"We haven't spent all that money because we pay in instalments and we only pay this year's instalment," said Hammam