West Brom manager Roy Hodgson admits he may finally need to spend to bring in his next batch of transfer targets.
Hodgson has signed defenders Gareth McAuley and Billy Jones from Ipswich and Preston on Bosman transfers.
It will be the same scenario if midfielder Zoltan Gera signs after proving his fitness following ankle surgery, with his contract with Fulham having expired last month.
But Hodgson knows he will have to financially invest if potential targets such as keepers Robert Green (West Ham) and Ben Foster (Birmingham), plus Reading striker Shane Long, are to be signed up.
Hodgson told the Wolverhampton Express and Star: "If the deal for Gera goes through, that would be a third excellent acquisition, all of which would have been brought in for no transfer money.
"That, hopefully, would give us a chance to get the last couple of pieces in the jigsaw of the right quality that might cost us a little bit more than these three have cost us.
"It could be as many as five or six players coming in, all of whom would be great acquisitions, and the total outlay hopefully won't break the bank.''
Hodgson needs a new keeper after Scott Carson was off-loaded to Turkish side Bursaspor.
He also wants a new striker to take some of the pressure off Peter Odemwingie, who scored 15 goals in the Premier League last season.
