Steve Cotterill has insisted that Bristol City will not stretch their budget in order to land new purchases.
The Robins are looking to strengthen their squad during the emergency loan window, with a proven striker thought to be top of the wishlist.
City had big-money moves for Dwight Gayle and Andre Gray knocked back during the summer, but Cotterill is unwilling to be held ransom in his pursuit of further options.
"We are not going to overpay any player to come and play for us. We are not going to do that," he is quoted as saying by the Western Daily Press. "The biggest problem is trying to strike a deal with a club and then ending up wasting your time.
"I did that twice. I did it with Crystal Palace and Brentford, to no avail in the end. Those were hard negotiations with chairmen and directors of football over a couple of days and they were hard deals to thrash out.
"When you end up not getting those deals, it is frustrating. Those wages might have been do-able, but I didn't think they were particularly right. That's fine. One of them has gone and found a good home and we move on."
Cotterill's charges find themselves in the Championship relegation zone following a 1-1 draw at Preston North End in midweek.
