Bruce targets Bendtner as Boro face fight to land Tigers striker

A goal was the only thing missing at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday as a resolute and confident Hull took the game to Manchester City before eventually succumbing 2-0.

The Tigers chief has been linked with Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner, whom he managed at Sunderland and Birmingham, but Crystal Palace are also interested.

Bruce broke Hull’s transfer record to bring in Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone for £5.25m on the eve of the season, but he does not have the financial capability to break the bank again today. “It’s not just about money. It’s about making the difference and finding a player who’s good enough,” he said.

“Where am I going to get a player who’s proven at scoring 12 to 15 goals in the Premier League?

“Even if I had the Humber Bridge to play with, can I get him there to Hull?

“If there is big competition we’ve got to be realistic. We’re trying our best and we’re doing our utmost.

“We’ve done fantastically well, in my opinion, during the transfer window.

“We’d love one more, all the managers would say that, but where are they?

“I’ve been asking that question now for weeks.

“Someone who’s going to score you 12 to 15 goals in the Premier League is worth millions.

“Can we afford them? Can we pay the salary? Will they come to Hull? It’s always a problem.

“We’re still hopeful, though. There’s some out there but we haven’t bid for anyone.”

Sone Aluko missed a golden chance against Manchester City on Saturday and the club will know more about the hamstring injury that forced him off in the second half today.

Matty Fryatt is one striker who could be leaving the KC Stadium with Championship rivals Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough interested.

Boro missed out on No 1 target Ross McCormack, who has signed a new and improved four-year deal with Leeds United.

Leeds’s deadline-day priority is bringing in a winger to boost their attacking options.

On signing his new deal, McCormack, who failed to crown a vintage week on Saturday when United’s six-match unbeaten record ended in a 1-0 home loss to Championship leaders QPR, said: “It’s a weight off my shoulders.

“Everyone is saying I have played it well and my agent has played it well and maybe used the interest to get a new contract and all that. But that wasn’t the case. I think the gaffer was the main one who wanted to get me tied down to the club and I am really grateful it has happened.

“It’s always nice when other clubs want you. It was obviously pretty public about Middlesbrough; they were one of the clubs. But, in my head, I always wanted to stay at Leeds United.

“I’ve been here three years now and all of our top players have all left. It’s good that the club have turned down offers (for me) and made a statement that we are not a selling club any more. We don’t have to sell and it’s all about going forward.”

Sheffield Wednesday manager Dave Jones is not expecting any transfer business today.

Strict budgets mean the Owls have to get players off the wage bill before Jones can bolster his squad. A striker and creative midfielder are top of Jones’s wish list.

Asked if they may arrive before tonight’s deadline, Jones said after the 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough: “No, not unless we can shift one or two, which enables us to bring one or two in.

“We just have to get on with it, dig in deep. We have been close to winning every game, we could have lost every game, that’s the way this division is.

“But the one thing is we have shown we have enough about us if we can keep everybody fit. Unfortunately, when we lose one it is a big kick for us and Lewis Buxton and Anthony Gardner are two senior players for us.”

Buxton (hamstring) was ruled out of Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough – meaning a debut for Jordan Spence, on loan from West Ham United – and captain Gardner was stretchered off with an Achilles injury.

“We have only just got Reda (Johnson) back and I think the players are doing absolutely magnificent for us,” said Jones. “We just have to dig in, keep going, and see what happens. We are not that far away.”

Huddersfield Town manager Mark Robins is armed with the £2m the club received from Crystal Palace for right-back Jack Hunt – who has signed a four-year deal – but will not be rushed into a signing.

The same goes for Barnsley’s David Flitcroft, who banked £700,000 when left-back Scott Golbourne moved to Wolves.

Following Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Oakwell, Robins said: “If we can find the right player to come in and develop as we did with Jack then I think that might be something we will do fairly quickly but, if not, we wait.

“I am certainly looking for something, maybe a loan or something permanent. If Callum Woods had been fit, he would have played so we are not in a desperate rush.”

Flitcroft, buoyed by his side’s first win of the season, said: “We are not going to panic. We are going to have a recruitment strategy meeting during the week but Golby is a big miss – that’s why Wolves wanted him. We are not sure what will happen before the deadline. We have a couple of irons in the fire that could come to fruition but, if not, the loan market will open up.”

Additional reporting: Leon Wobschall, Robert Gledhill, Richard Hercock.