Becchio waits in wings as Leeds hold out for a hero

McDermott said he had no intention of recruiting a forward “for the sake of it” after the board at Leeds reacted to Saturday’s loss to Burnley by putting up funds to strengthen his squad.

United made money available in the wake of a game which saw numerous chances go begging, responding to a warning from their manager that his team “aren’t scoring enough, especially at Elland Road.”

But McDermott, who has seen one approach to sign a player rejected after the target’s club refused to discuss a move, appeared reluctant to commit to a deal for a generic striker and admitted he would want any emergency loan to stretch to the 93-day limit allowed under Football League rules.

“If I’m going to bring a player to the club at this stage, it has to be someone who can make a difference,” McDermott said ahead of tonight’s Capital One Cup third round tie. “Is that player available? Maybe, maybe not.

“There’s no point in me bringing in a player for the sake of it. I spoke to one of the owners on (Monday) night and told him that. The owner said to me that if I felt there was a player who became available who could make a difference then in his words he would support me.

“What I needed to do was put my point of view to him about how I do things and how I manage.

“I wouldn’t say there are cheap options out there and for me, there’s no point signing someone for a month. You’d have to look to sign someone for three months and then to try and get him until the end of the season. That’s what I’d want to do.”

Leeds have scored seven times in eight league matches and McDermott was at Hull last night watching City striker Matty Fryatt who is available for loan, while the club have been linked with several players since their defeat to Burnley.

Former United striker Luciano Becchio is seen as an obvious target but Norwich appear in no rush to lose the Argentinian on loan and they included him in the squad for their League Cup game against Watford last night.

West Bromwich Albion’s Shane Long, meanwhile, stood out as another goalscorer who would seem to interest McDermott on account of the successful period they spent together at Reading.

“I’m looking at options and I enquired about a player I’d like but he isn’t available,” McDermott said. “So we keep looking. That’s all we’re trying to do.

“Trying to find a striker who can score you plenty of goals –and the right type of striker for the team as it – is never going to be easy and I’m not into ticking boxes.

“When you sign a player you have to really believe that they’re going to be good for the future of the club. What can happen is that you get the initial euphoria of a signing which last until the first game he plays.

“Obviously if he doesn’t do well then there’s an opinion taken on that player. So you have to 100-per-cent believe in who you’re signing.”

United’s manager appeared to rule out the possibility of taking on free agent David Bentley, the former Tottenham Hotspur and Blackburn Rovers winger.

Bentley was believed to be pushing for a free transfer to Elland Road but speaking ahead of tonight’s League Cup tie at Newcastle United, McDermott said: “You can’t take someone just because it’s an easy deal or because they’re available.

“David Bentley’s a good player but we’ve got Ross McCormack and El-Hadji Diouf and you’re talking about a similar sort of player there. The last thing you want to do is stockpile in one position.”

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