HULL City manager Steve Bruce insists he is content to bide his time in a search for fresh midfield options, despite off-loading Tom Cairney and Corry Evans to Blackburn Rovers this week.
Twenty four hours after loaning Cairney to the Championship club until January, Bruce yesterday sanctioned a £600,000 deal that saw Evans make the same journey to Ewood Park.
With just 15 days left before the Tigers kick-off their Premier League campaign at Chelsea, the twin departures leave limited options at Bruce's disposal for the new season.
The search is continuing with City in Germany ahead of today's friendly with Dynamo Dresden but Bruce has played down the belief that reinforcements are imminent.
"I wish I could tell everyone that there is but it's something that changes quickly, it can happen overnight," Bruce told the Mail.
"Ideally we would love to have the team in place before the Chelsea game but there's some clubs in the Premier League that haven't even gone to work yet.
"Make no mistake, we're looking, but what we've got to do is make sure we improve the team.
"It's easy to go out there and bring someone in for the sake of it but it's my job to find that little bit of quality."
City have been linked with a host of midfielders in the last week as attempts to address the most deficient area of the squad continue.
Jermaine Jenas of QPR and Spurs' duo Scott Parker and Jake Livermore are just three touted in recent days but there is no substance to those links at present.
Instead, Wilson Palacios remains firmly in Bruce's thoughts if Stoke are willing to sell, while Marseille's creative midfielder Morgan Amalfitano is another believed to be under consideration on a season-long loan.
Bruce is determined to take his tally of eight new signings into double figures before the summer window closes on September 2 and could yet swoop for three new midfielders.
"We're looking at least two midfield players now, possibly three," he added.
"This (selling Evans) has put a little bit in the coffers.
"I've said repeatedly that we'll deal sensibly and we'll be patient to make sure we get the right player.
"We've got a month before the window shuts.
"If it takes us to the last day, it takes us to the last day. But rest assured, we're working hard to get the right players in."
City's attempts to sign Palacios have met an impasse in the last fortnight. While they had privately been hopeful Stoke would cut their losses on the Honduran, Mark Hughes has kept a close eye on him during pre-season.
Bruce is yet to give up the chase but did hint at the frustrations felt.
He added: "I think it's drifting further away. There's been a change of manager at Stoke and if Tony Pulis was still the manager I'd think there would have been a deal to be done.
"I'm not so sure they want to let him out. If that's the case we'll move on. Of course I'd be interested but if he's not for sale, he's not for sale."
