Express & Star

Gary O'Neil offers update on Wolves' striker search

Gary O'Neil is 'confident' Wolves will bring a striker in before the end of the month after their goalless draw with Brighton.

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Gary O'Neil (Getty)

The club have been looking for a number nine all month after allowing Fabio Silva and Sasa Kalajdzic to leave on loan.

Financial restrictions have played a part, but the head coach is hopeful they will bring in a player on loan in the current transfer window.

"Hopefully we can do something to help us push again over the next few months," O'Neil said.

"Fabio and Sasa were better off going to play at this moment, but that doesn't mean it will be the case next season. Both of them, especially Sasa, worked his socks off every day to play a part in what we were doing.

"It was important for the club that we shifted wages before we were able to do something, so now if something comes up that can fit what we can do financially, we're in a place to push the button and do it.

"Whereas, if we'd waited, we'd then have had to try and shift people before we could do it.

"So we're in a spot now where we can do something and lets see what happens over the next few days. I'm confident we'll get something done.

"I would expect it to be a loan. We don't want to be adding too much to the net spend at this moment in time."

Pedro Neto, making his first start since October after a hamstring injury, played as a makeshift striker against the Seagulls and O'Neil was pleased with his display.

He added: "He was good as a nine. We're trying everyone as a nine at the minute and we thought it would suit him if we could press man for man and get him in one against one at the top of the pitch.

"It worked quite well. We could maybe have been a bit better with our first pass on the transition to get him more opportunities, and then him and Cunha weren't quite able to put the finishing touch on some of the really good moves we managed to produce.

"On another day those two get a goal each or we get a couple with the chances we created, but sometimes it goes like that and the main thing was we looked like a team, stuck together when it got tough and looked like we could cope. We always had that threat.

"Pedro was good. He probably played a little bit longer than we'd have liked ideally, but we felt there was still a goal in him at the end and he was getting good opportunities. I'm pleased he got through it, he feels good.

"We'll get him through the next few days with a light load and get him ready for a big game at the weekend."

Wolves' draw with Brighton makes it six games unbeaten and O'Neil is happy with his side's progress.

He said: "I was pleased. It was a good game and we tried to be aggressive where we could, which gave us opportunities to transition and get good opportunities on the break.

"I'm disappointed that we weren't able to take any because we probably had the better of the chances, but it was a really good performance.

"The lads stuck together. It's a really tough place to come, so to be that aggressive, stick to the game plan and create chances at a place like this is tough. Fair play to the boys."