Adkins will only buy if he has to

Nigel Adkins will move in the market if the right player becomes available.

Scunthorpe United boss Nigel Adkins does not expect to be very active during the January transfer window.

Adkins will only move for players that he thinks will improve the Iron's chances of gaining promotion.

"If we can add better than we've already got that's what we're actively looking to do," said Adkins.

"Teams will be very reluctant to spend money. You only have to listen to the Premier League managers speaking on the TV," he told BBC Radio Humberside.

"They say at best they're only going to bring loan players in so that tells you what sort of economic climate we are operating in."

Over the years we've tried to bring young players in who we can help develop and move on to bigger and better things

Scunthorpe boss Nigel Adlkins

But Adkins, whose play-off hopefuls lie sixth in League One (four points clear of the chasing pack), does point out that Glanford Park has become a breeding ground for polishing players.

The likes of Andy Keogh (Wolves) and Billy Sharp (Sheffield United) have come in, been moulded into better players and moved on at a tidy profit. And they are still keen to bring in the right sort of young signing.

"Over the years we've tried to bring young players into the building who we can help develop and move on to bigger and better things," said Adkins.

"We've now got a decent track record of doing that and that also suggests that might be the sort of player we are looking at."