Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed that he will only sign a striker before the transfer window closes if he can find the right one.
Having loaned out Yaya Sanogo and Chuba Akpom, Olivier Giroud remains the Gunners' only recognised centre-forward, with 11 days left in the window.
Although the veteran French manager, 65, is open to signing a striker, he claims that there is a shortage of marksmen in the world-class bracket.
Real Madrid hitman Karim Benzema has been heavily linked with a £48m move to the Emirates, though Wenger has previously rejected the notion of signing him.
"There is a shortage in the world [of strikers] and there is a difference between financial power and the availability of top-class players," he told reporters.
"When players are not free you cannot buy because it is the club who owns the contract that decides. Today in Europe you have maybe 15 clubs with huge financial resources and they don't need money at all.
"It hasn't been a frustrating window for me because I'm always more focused on developing the team and the players we have inside the club. I'm not against buying when it is really a plus for the team. If it is just buying players at the level of the players you have I am not ready for that. But in every position we have strong players."
Wenger has previously flirted with the idea of using Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott in a striking role, while he also used Alexis Sanchez there at times last term.
Shane Callaghan
