CHRIS LAKEY Peter Grant is hoping to add four new faces to the Canaries squad when the transfer window opens in January. The City boss has been in talks with managers this week in an effort to get all the bits of the jigsaw to fit into place - and says he hopes to get his business done and dusted by the end of the first week of trading.

CHRIS LAKEY

Peter Grant is hoping to add four new faces to the Canaries squad when the transfer window opens in January.

The City boss has been in talks with managers this week in an effort to get all the bits of the jigsaw to fit into place - and says he hopes to get his business done and dusted by the end of the first week of trading.

“I would like ideally another three or four players - but I could end up with one player,” he said. “If I could do without the other three and bring one in who was a massive plus for us I would do that as well. But I think three or four - it is always nice to have a player for each position, maybe one defender, one midfielder, one forward. Maybe three midfielders, a defender and one utility player who you can play in different positions and is comfortable playing in different positions, especially at this level.

“I have spoken to a lot of managers this week again - some conversations last long and some are very short. That's been tough, but it's been good because it lets me know who is available and the ones who aren't available.

“I am sure it will give a freshness to the group which at times you need, whether you are Manchester United or Norwich City.

“I maybe need to utilise the loan system, which I am not a great advocate of because if you are trying to build things you don't want, all of a sudden when a player is doing ever so well for you, he has to go back to his club.

“In an ideal world I want Norwich City players here. Maybe the first step is to get them in on loan, hopefully sell the club to them that way and then come to some agreement with the clubs the boys are coming from. There are two ways to skin that cat and hopefully come January we will have three or four bodies around the squad to make it better in quality as well as a more rounded squad. I think that is important for us because I still feel we have got a little bit imbalance in it.”

Grant is eager to ensure business is completed as soon as possible.

“I am hoping I don't need to leave it until the last moment,” he said. “I am hoping I know the ones who are going to be coming in probably in the first week in January. I don't want to be going on to the end of January, I'd rather bring them in straightaway, as quickly as I possibly can. But that's in a perfect world, I am not saying that's the way it is going to be because you have to have players who want to come. I have that with some I want - managers saying they'd like to let players come to this club, that is important for me, but the other side is with the player. Once you speak to him you have to see if he wants to come. You can see it in their eyes if they want to come and play for you.”

Finances, or the lack of them, will clearly dictate the quality of player Grant can bring in, but he says he was prepared for that eventuality when he took the job.

“I knew that before I came in,” he said. “I think it frustrates Delia, I think it frustrates Michael, I think it frustrates Neil Doncaster.

“They would love to be giving you bucketfuls of money, unfortunately that is not a position we are in. It would be different if we were just out of the Premier League and had another year of the payments, then I'd be banging on the door massively. I wouldn't be sitting back, but I understand the constraints.

“When I took the job I knew the £7m (parachute payment) would go next summer, but I won't be going in there and start screaming for stuff that I knew wouldn't be possible to do because of that.

“If we had another year it would be different, but I think I wouldn't even need to ask for that. I think I could go and say I need such and such and they'd give me that.

“I am sure I will still have money, whether it's the money to bring the quality I would love to bring in - I have not got £25m to bring in a striker, but I will try and get the best player for the finances we have got available.