THE result at Yeovil this afternoon could influence City’s January transfer business.

Edin Rahic has made it clear that the FA Cup is more than just a distraction to the promotion push.

An extended cup run – and the windfall that goes with it – could open up targets over the next 25 days of the window.

“In League One, you can only make money with a cup run or a proper transfer,” said the City chairman. “Because we want to keep the players, it’s about doing well in the cup.

“To reach the next round would be massive for the club – and it can also influence the transfer period.

“A big club could be waiting for us in the next round and that can also have an effect. If we drew someone like Man United, it would be easier to get a player in.

“Yes, of course the league and winning promotion is the priority. But this is very important for the club.

“The timing at the beginning of the transfer window is brilliant. It’s great that we have reached the third round and with this draw we have a massive chance of going further.

“The players are well incentivised in their contracts to do well in the cup. They will be taking it seriously and they have to – we must do everything to go through.”

January is a key month for all the League One contenders as everyone scrambles to bolster resources. Ipswich striker Kieffer Moore is not the only offer City have made in the first week of a volatile market.

Rahic said: “It’s like a game of poker.

“I was talking to an agent who was saying it’s a quiet time now. It starts to build up after the FA Cup weekend and more in the middle of January when you are targeting hard.

“By the last ten days, it’s obvious that everyone gets nervous. The question is how tough are you.

“We have our budget and if Ipswich or another club come back asking for this or that, we must have a ceiling.

“It’s totally different to German transfer periods. In Germany, you will never see the last day on live TV like over here because you’ve done the job.

“We’re not looking at an amount of players but which areas we really need strengthening.

“Charlie (Wyke) can’t play 90 minutes every game or it will kill him. And of course in the defence, we have to find a way to keep more clean sheets.

“Whether that means centre midfield or centre half, that’s not decided yet. You need the right player for our tactical approach.

“But if we concede so many goals compared with our competitors, then we have to find a way. Those are the positions we are looking for now.”

City earned around £500,000 from their sell-on clause when Nahki Wells left Huddersfield for Burnley in the last window. But speaking exclusively to the Telegraph & Argus, Rahic revealed that money is being paid in instalments – and they have received only a fraction so far.

“People think it’s always a one-off payment,” he said. “But ask Burnley and Huddersfield the way they have paid the fee and we have to adapt.

“We’re nowhere near getting all the payment term. It’s stretched over a certain period of years.

“It’s not up front - we have probably got less than a quarter.

“For example some transfer fees sound high but when they are paid over a period of time the money is not already in the bank as many fans would imagine.

“But don’t forget we have also spent over half a million pounds on three transfers in the summer prior to that deal being paid.”

Rahic admits Liverpool’s record £75m fee for Virgil Van Dijk will cause an effect lower down the pyramid in time as prices escalate as a result, causing an “over-heated” domestic transfer market.

That will inevitably shift the focus more on Europe – but not in this window for City.

“It’s difficult. If we sign a player in January, he has to be able to play the next day.

“Some of the foreign ones haven’t played (because of the winter break) and they are probably not used to League One football.

“It’s much easier to get a player to step in at Championship level. League One is much tougher physically.

“You haven’t got time to stop and put your foot on the ball. It’s 90 minutes running.”

Loan signings will feature again but Rahic says City are only after ready-made first-team players. There will be no back-up recruits like last year.

“We have that with the development team. We have Jacob Hanson, Danny Devine and Danny Pybus.

“We have to focus recruitment on players with the right mentality. Someone like Jake Reeves, you see he always runs around and is always fighting for the ball.

“We have to think more about getting players with personality.

“Yes, we could have more leadership, especially when we are 1-0 down. But we have experienced players who are leaders but in their way.”