Lee Johnson insists there are 'a couple' of positions he wants to strengthen before the transfer window closes on Monday night - but says he would be content to work with what he has got if no new faces arrive.
The Black Cats boss has already brought in four new signings in the current window, with Danny Batth, Patrick Roberts, Jack Clarke, and Trai Hume arriving on Wearside.
But he still wants to sign another forward to as support and cover for Ross Stewart, while he could also look to replace full-back Denver Hume - who joined Portsmouth this week - or bring in another midfield option while Luke O'Nien continues his recovery from shoulder surgery.
"I'm very pleased with the business we have done," said Johnson, ahead of his side's game at Bolton Wanderers tomorrow..
"We're still in the mix.
"I'd be more than happy if this was all we had, but at the same time there are a couple of options and positions that we could do with bolstering.
"You could make an argument for both of those [a full-back or a midfielder], along with a forward to lighten the load on Rossco [Stewart] until Broady [Nathan Broadhead] gets back from injury.
"We've got the five loans in at the moment and if we brought in another one that would make it six and only five can be named in the matchday squad.
"Permanents are a lot harder to do in this window, there's no doubt about that.
"It's just a case of making the right choices.
"The beauty of our squad is that we have players who can cover multiple positions - Luke, for example, can cover centre-half, right-back, central midfield, [Lynden] Gooch is another great example of flexibility.
"So yes, we do want to bring in numbers, but the problem when you have too many numbers is that it can become a bit disjointed and fractious, and the emotional stability that comes with being part of that matchday squad can sometimes fall away.
"It's a delicate balance of getting the squad numbers right, making sure you have the depth in the positions, and first and foremost having the quality to win the games."
Johnson does not expect any more arrivals today or tomorrow, however, meaning any more signings are likely to arrive on Sunday at the earliest and possibly on deadline day itself.
He said: "There's nothing likely to happen today or tomorrow, I would have thought.
"I'm not necessarily expecting a busy day on Monday - it will be more about doing due diligence.
"You know what it is like, you know your place at the table and often someone will become available that you didn't think would be available, because of the Rubik's Cube of the transfer market and how that moves around.
"I'm very confident that we are perched in a good position, and if anything that we wanted to do was there then we would have the support to do it.
A striker is the number one priority however, and Johnson again said that talks remain ongoing concerning a return to Wearside for Jermain Defoe, although there is no time pressure on that deal as the 39-year-old is a free agent and can sign for a new club outside the transfer window.
"At the moment there's no update on that one," he said.
"Talks have been going on in the background as we know, but as we are sitting here today I would be giving you duff information.
"My focus has been on the game for the last couple of days.
"The deadline for anybody in contract is Monday, obviously, but out of contract it goes beyond that so I wouldn't say that the deadline is an issue - it's just got to be right.
"As we've said before, anything we do has to be right and has to be well looked into on all levels.
"On my side, I've been concentrating on training and making the new players feel comfortable, and there's been a lot of man-management gone on this week."
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