STUART McCall insists a new striker will provide “the final piece of the jigsaw” for City in the transfer window.

A new loan capture from a higher-division club is expected to be sorted over the next few days, although he is unlikely to be ready in time to feature against Harrogate on Monday.

McCall may still try to add a young third goalkeeper as security for Richard O’Donnell and Sam Hornby before next Friday’s deadline.

But the Bantams boss will be relieved when his lengthy search for a frontman to replace James Vaughan is finally sorted.

He said: “It has been a long hunt and we have not got certain people in for different reasons.

“When I looked at bringing Gareth Evans in, I remember him as more of a striker for us. The more I have seen him in training, he is probably not the one who can play up there, although I have no doubts that he can.

“But he is maybe better coming from a deeper lying role, maybe as a 10 or an attacking midfielder or off one of the sides.

“In training we have looked at Dylan Mottley-Henry up there when we talk about pace.

“We have been knocked back with a few and spoken to a lot of Premier League and Championship clubs for players and had a look at them. It is so difficult.

“We are getting tapes as we cannot go and watch players up close and personal and then we take on board recommendations.

“But I have watched so much academy football in the past month and a lot of it can be artificial. What a good academy player can look like and then coming down and playing in League Two is mighty different.”

The striker signing will make it seven additions for McCall during a window that has been more challenging because of the on-going financial uncertainty facing football. But he is pleased with his business.

McCall added: “I have been more than happy with the players we have brought in and they will all give something different.

“We look to add one more as we always said we would do and I am confident we will do that in the coming days.

“We needed to strengthen midfield. Clarkey (Billy Clarke) has experience, nous and intelligence and Elliot Watt is getting better game by game.

“We know what we are getting from Levi (Sutton), although the fans have not seen a great deal of him, and we brought Cookey (Callum Cooke) back in.

“A lot of the time, our thoughts were to play with wing backs, but attacking wing backs. Dylan and Levi could do that job, Tyler (French) then emerged and he can do it well.

“We needed a right back and got one in Bryce (Hosannah) as we preferred an attacking right wing-back.

“The last piece of the jigsaw would be to add a striker and possibly, although we are not urgently looking, maybe a younger number three goalkeeper to be around training. But the main area obviously is up front.”

The introduction of a £1.5 million salary cap in League Two this season means that clubs must stick to a budget – something McCall has always tried to do.

“I would never ask one of my chairmen and owners to spend money we haven’t got,” he said. “It’s irresponsible. As long as you keep your own house in order, you cannot spend above your means.”

Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano this week raised the controversial question of putting Premier League B teams into the lower divisions to restructure the pyramid.

McCall, whose side played Wolves under-21s in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday, would be firmly opposed to the idea.

“I saw the headline and read the first couple of paragraphs. But I was not keen on listening to that and closed my ears to it.”