Everton boss Sean Dyche believes it is unlikely the club will secure a free agent signing.
The Toffees have not made a single transfer move since appointing Dyche, much to the dismay of fans.
While owner Farhad Moshiri stated that Dyche would be backed, it appears the purse strings are tightened until the summer.
Asked about signing a free agent by reporters, Dyche replied: I'd have thought so [I would have signed someone]."
He then added on previous transfer failures: I am certainly not deserving of an explanation before my time here because that was a different regime and different people involved.
Certainly in my time since I have been here and I don't mind reiterating, I sat here for some 48 odd hours. More or less here all day and all night with all the relevant people doing all we can.
The one thing I would say is to share a view of it and you may well have noticed how many strikers are out there. What market are you looking in? How many are out there? How many are Premier League ready?"