Curle aiming to bring in 'two or three' but predicts 'difficult' January transfer window for EFL clubs

Keith Curle is targeting 'two or three' signings during the January transfer window but he's warned it's likely to be a 'difficult' month to do business due to the new rules on squad sizes.

Town will need to trim their squad if they want to make signings this month unless they recruit players under the age of 21. Ricky Holmes, whose contract expired on Saturday, is yet to be offered a new deal for that reason with Curle hoping to strengthen in other positions.

The same applies to all EFL clubs and subsequently that could make for a rush of activity towards the end of the window rather than the start.

"I've had conversations with a few clubs and we want to improve the squad but you've got to be mindful of the new limits because you can only sign 22 players so there's no rush to go and commit to certain players," said Curle.

"We're trying to get the best options. We've probably got four of five options that we're looking at currently and if three of those come off, or two of those come off, I think we'd have had a good window.

"There's no need for wholesale changes because we've got a squad where some players are now stepping up and we're seeing more from them, which is pleasing."

Curle has also hinted he's looking at loanees rather than permanent signings, adding: "It's a difficult window because a lot of clubs will need to assess where they are. If you're trying to attract players on loan in the first week of the window, the parent club will want as much as money as they can get as a contribution to the wages.

"The longer you leave it, those contributions and demands can get less because they might have a player that is available for a loan but isn't making the 22-man squad and then it becomes an expensive player for them to have sat in the stands and not being able to use them.

"So we need to be clever and we need to be smart and we need to be precise in the recruitment that we do."