West Ham's squad would "probably be a bit light" if they made no new recruits this transfer window, according to Hammers assistant manager Alan Irvine.
The club has yet to make a new signing during the current window, only completing the permanent move of Tomas Soucek's initial loan spell from Slavia Prague for £19million despite David Moyes desperately trying to bolster his defence.
The manager has been frustated in his attempts to land Burnley centre back James Tarkowski and has supposedly switched his attentions to St Etienne centre half Wesley Fofana but he comes with a hefty price tag of £30million plus, blowing most of the Hammers summer budget in one go.
Co-owner David Sullivan admitted during the week that the club could end up making no new signings and that he was "depressed" at being unable to get the players in the club desperately needs so far during the window, which closes on October 5.
Irvine was deputising for Moyes at the pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's match with Wolves at London Stadium as Moyes is still self-isolating having tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday prior to the Carabao Cup victory over Hull.
The assistant manager was asked how the squad would look if there were no recruits in the next fortnight and his answer was bleak.
"Probably a bit light," he said.
"Like any other club we were coming into this window thinking we need to get some players, there are not many clubs who think they have got exactly that they want so we are looking at ways to improve.
"We would like to but you can only do that if the right players are available and at the right prices. If we end up being unable to find those players I don’t think it would be wise to sign players who would make the squad more unbalanced."
An unbalanced squad was one of Sullivan's key complaints when he went on talkSport earlier this week, somewhat ill-advised, to discuss the summer so far which has seen West Ham supporters re-ignite their protests at the board following the sale of Grady Diangana to West Bromwich Albion.
Irvine added: "From a coaches point of view you work with the players you have got so for the group that we have here, we have to do the best that we can with them.
"If we can get players in then we will have to find out very quickly about them and the best way of working with them as individuals. Until such time as we get new players we just carry on with the job as we are trying to do at the moment.
"If we get new ones in then hopefully they will prove to be good signings for the long-term and we find good players to work with."
