St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright has signing targets in mind if he loses star striker Stevie May to Rotherham United.
The Perth talisman could play his last game for his home town club against Europa League rivals Spartak Trnava on Thursday.
The Championship side have been chasing May for months and an £800,000 deal could be struck by the weekend if extended talks bear fruit.
Wright would hate to lose his 27-goal striker but contract extension talks have stalled.
He said: “Rotherham are definitely showing their hand and negotiations are ongoing. We have always been looking for players but we haven’t been in a position to sign anybody. It is a difficult situation.
“But we have got to make sure we are ready to bring someone in if Stevie goes. If that does happen I feel we have to bring in two strikers and I have spoken to the
chairman about it. It is wait and see at the minute. Stevie will play on Thursday and if the deal does happen the chairman will make sure it is the best possible one for St Johnstone.
“At present he is in the last year of his contract here. If the Rotherham deal was to fall through that may change. It is still an option.”
Perth fans have looked enviously at Tayside rivals Dundee United hitting the jackpot with their young talent.
But Wright noted: “I find it very surprising that Rotherham are the only club in the frame. People might flag up what the Dundee United lads went for but Ryan Gauld went to Sporting Lisbon in the Portuguese top league and Andrew Robertson went to Hull who are a Premiership club. They had also signed long term contracts at United.
“Those clubs have far more resources than ones in the Championship in England. We have to make sure we do what is right for the club. I trust the chairman to do that.”