CHRIS LAKEY Peter Grant says he won't pay “crazy” prices to bring players to Norwich before the transfer window deadline closes.

CHRIS LAKEY

Peter Grant says he won't pay "crazy" prices to bring players to Norwich before the transfer window deadline closes.

The City boss has until midnight tomorrow to add to his playing staff, a move which has become more urgent this week as his injury list continues to grow.

However, Grant believes that selling clubs are sending prices flying through the roof.

"I will pay money for someone if it is a realistic price, but I won't pay crazy money for the sake of it because everybody else's stock is going up," he said.

Grant has Mark Fotheringham and Jimmy Smith sidelined long-term with ankle ligament damage, but less serious knocks to Adam Drury and Jamie Cureton, plus Ian Murray's and David Strihavka's illnesses have shown up the lack of depth in his squad.

But the City manager says he is having to wait while clubs hold out for a big-money buyer - and if one is not forthcoming, only then will they consider sending players out on loan.

"I think that will probably end up happening with us because some of the boys that are available you won't be able to get price-wise - in the Premiership especially it is phenomenal."

Grant backed the stance taken by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, who rarely uses the English market because it is too expensive.

"He said people ask why he goes to France and doesn't have any English players and it's because they are too much money, not just in the transfer fee, which is phenomenal, but also in their wages, which are incredible," said Grant.

"We find it at our level as well. The higher they go for in the Premier League you then see Championship players going for £4m or £5m so it just brings everybody's stock up and ordinary players are costing you £1m at the cheapest - it is just impossible. You talk about Kenwyne Jones - a year ago he was playing at Sheffield Wednesday as a centre back, then all of a sudden he plays at centre forward for Sheffield Wednesday, gets a few goals, now you're talking £5.5m, £6m. I am not saying the boy's not a good player but that's the values. It used to be that it was a top international player scoring 30 goals you'd get for that price."

Grant is in the market for defensive and midfield cover and it now looks more likely that it will be on a temporary basis.

"I think the situation now is that a lot of clubs are still not going to make their mind up before the 31st, because they will think they can't sell them or I will not offer them the money they want for the player - because they will try and get as much money as they possibly can," he said. "But once the window is out of the road they will maybe say, 'right, because we haven't got anything for him financially we will look at the loan system."