No new players for United: Ferguson

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson has conceded defeat in his bid to strengthen his squad in time for the critical phase of the season.

The midwinter transfer window closes on Friday and the Scot, whose number one priority had been an extra striker, ruled out any last-minute business.

"Nothing is going to happen on the transfer front," Ferguson told Thursday's edition of the Manchester Evening News.

"I'd liked to have brought in one extra player and it would have given us back up in certain positions.

"But it is very difficult in this January window. I have said that all along. We were looking for someone who can play in the European Cup and that is not easy at all in mid-season."

United's only public involvement in the transfer market was a controversial approach for Sunderland's young French forward David Bellion.

Sunderland accused United of deliberately unsettling the player in a bid to force through a deal which now looks to be dead.

Ferguson sold Dwight Yorke to Blackburn at the start of the season, leaving the club with only Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Diego Forlan as forwards.

He has publicly admitted that he would like to sign another striker and was linked to Sunderland's Kevin Phillips, Tottenham's Simon Davies and a host of other names.

But with Paul Scholes operating effectively in an advanced role behind lone striker van Nistelrooy and Forlan emerging as a player capable of scoring critical goals, the shortage of forwards has become less pressing for United.

With only legbreak victim Quinton Fortune to come back from injury, Ferguson declared himself happy with the squad at his disposal as United chase silverware on four fronts - the Premiership, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League.

"Quinton Fortune will be back in two weeks and if you look at our squad last Sunday against West Ham, plus Laurent Blanc, Ricardo, Mikael Silvestre and Quinton, you have a strong 20 names there," he said.

"Then you can also look at younger players like Michael Stewart, Luke Chadwick, Kieran Richardson and Danny Pugh, and we'll have David May as well.

"It would have been good to add another name this month but it wasn't to be."