Wolves boss Bruno Lage admits new signings may be needed next month to convince their existing top stars to stay.
Wanderers sold Portugal keeper Rui Patricio to Roma in the summer and previously sold Diogo Jota to Liverpool in 2020 for £40million.
But new boss Lage has Wolves sixth in the Premier League after just one defeat in eight games.
He is now planning to strengthen his squad in January so the Chinese owned club kick on.
Ahead of Burnley ’s visit on Wednesday, the Molineux coach said: “The main point is in January everyone should continue with us.
“But maybe we need one or two more players to improve our squad.
“I want top players and it is not about how much they cost, it is about the mentality they have.
“The challenge for the club is to create a solid project to grow up as a team and convince the players to continue.
“There is only one rule to convince top players to continue.
“They have to understand the project and understand one or two or three top players are coming to help them to arrive to a different position.
“That is the only rule to try to keep top players with us.
“When you arrive at one position, and we are working very hard for that, when other teams come in, we need to also offer something.
“It is not contracts or about the money, it is about projects and what the club really wants.
“To go to that position we cannot go there with just 14 players but 20 players.”
Wolves’ Chinese owners Fosun appear to have scaled back their investment in the last 18 months.
Lage added: “The club needs to survive by its own.
“That is why it is so important to find the right players and the best deal.
“I don’t go to buy players who can cost £40m but the right player can still come to help us to be better.”
Wanderers are likely to target Lille pair Sven Botman and Renato Sanches in January.
Wolves are also hopeful of completing the permanent signing of Hee-chan Hwang when the transfer window reopens.
The South Korean forward signed on a season-long loan from German club RB Leipzig in the summer, with an option to buy him permanently for around £14million.
Hwang has now scored four goals for Wolves and Lage has confirmed he wants to snap the ace up permanently.
But Portuguese ace Trincao, a fellow winger, would cost more than double from the Spanish giants.
Trincao, on loan from the Spanish giants, has a release clause set at over £30m making a permanent deal next month unlikely.
