Relegation-haunted Bradford City will not gamble on a big-money signing in a last throw of the dice to stay in the Premiership.

City chairman Geoffrey Richmond today spelt out the message: We will not risk our future by trying to buy our way clear.

Richmond said: "I would not sanction spending at this time in a desperate attempt to get out of the problems we have.

"I'm not suggesting that there is a transfer embargo on players coming in because there isn't. But any thought of gambling vast sums of money to try to escape relegation will not be sanctioned by this board.

"I've seen too many clubs try to buy themselves out of trouble and if that desperate attempt fails, the club are then paying for that folly for many years to come.

"I desperately want us to survive and if you look at our recent history, we have defied incredible odds every year.

"But we won't go down the reckless route. There's going to be no dramatic big-money purchases."

But Richmond rejected claims that boss Jim Jefferies was under orders to prepare for the First Division.

"The decisions we are taking are for football reasons not financial ones. Financially we are all right.

"It's not to be interpreted as getting ready for Division One, it's the same plan whether we stay up or go down.

"But obviously the more movement outwards there is now, the more vacancies there are for next season."

City have off-loaded high-earners Dan Petrescu and Stan Collymore while Benito Carbone is set to follow in the summer. Matt Clarke is desperate to leave while others could follow.

Richmond said: "Dan was a great disappointment while he was here. He was an under-achiever and I'm pleased that he moved on so quickly.

"I have very mixed feelings over Stan's departure. He wasn't a bad lad here and didn't do anything wrong.

"But Jim has made up his mind over players and those who don't fit into his long-term thinking will be moved on.

"If we were to succeed in staying up it would put in the shade anything else that has happened in the history of the Premiership.

"But the world won't end if we are back in division one next season. Sometimes in life you have to take a step back to go forward.

"Charlton are a great example, Middlesbrough and Sunderland similarly. They went down and came back strongly."

Reserve striker Gareth Grant has joined Lincoln City on a month's loan.