West Brom boss Steve Bruce hoping for 'at least a couple' ahead of transfer deadline

The Baggies have until 11pm next Thursday to add the extra firepower Bruce desires up front, as well as a couple of other options to bolster the squad.

Additions at The Hawthorns this summer include Jayson Molumby, the former loan player, Jed Wallace and John Swift, with the return of Okay Yokuslu in mid-July the latest capture.

Albion are still hunting for a centre-forward due to the long-term injury to Daryl Dike. The Baggies are still light in a other areas, too, with just 16 senior outfield players currently without an injury. Options in central midfield and full-back are thin on the ground.

The manager believes a 'tough' transfer market has been down to some of the country's top clubs still conducting business, which has stalled the movement of their younger players.

"At least a couple, yeah," was Bruce's reply on ideal number of transfer additions when asked on Friday morning ahead of tomorrow's Championship trip to Huddersfield.

"It's about time it (the window) closed! Then we can all draw a line under it.

"It's fair to say we've still got a little bit of work to do and I hope we can.

"I'm sure we will, but it's been tough. The market's tough at the minute.

"Because basically I don't think the big clubs, the real big clubs, have finished their business.

"That's been the strange one, you see people diving in the market with a week to go, paying huge money, and there will be a free-for-all this week, I would've thought.

"We've got some ducks in a row, let's hope we pull one off."

He added on the pursuit of a striker: "A striker is a striker and I've always said you're only as good as your strikers.

"Any profile you look at – the one thing you look over anything is goals, as one, appearances is another. All sorts of stuff.

"But obviously we're restricted, we can't go and spend £60million like Newcastle did yesterday. We've got to go and be create and see what we can do."