Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer refused to rule out the possibility of the club signing a striker before the transfer deadline.
Premier League clubs have until 23:00 GMT on Friday to complete deals for permanent or loan signings.
They have already agreed a deal with Sporting to sign Bruno Fernandes as their long-running pursuit of the Portugal midfielder nears a conclusion.
United confirmed a deal was in place, subject to a medical and personal terms, a day after making a significant breakthrough in talks with Sporting over a fee for the 25-year-old, who is Solskjaer's number one target in the January window.
When asked about the chances of a loan striker coming in before the weekend, the United boss remained neutral.
"I'm not sure," he told a press conference.
"I know that we need more goals. If we get Bruno over the line, we've got a boy there who is going to score and create.
"So, let's talk on Friday."
Solskjaer was speaking after his side secured their second win over Manchester City in the space of six weeks as they came out 1-0 winners in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at the Etihad.
However, the 3-2 aggregate in favour of Pep Guardiola's men saw City reach their third consecutive final in the competition.
