Cardiff manager Neil Warnock plans to strike early in the January transfer window and avoid a repeat of his summer frustration.
Warnock missed out on Chelsea's Tammy Abraham in August when a late bid failed to prevent the England forward joining Sky Bet Championship club Aston Villa on loan for the season.
A striker remains top of Warnock's January wish-list, with the veteran boss also saying he wants a full-back and a central midfielder.
"Definitely we are looking," Warnock said ahead of Saturday's Premier League trip to Everton.
"We're only allowed one other loan from the Premier League because we've got Harry (Arter) until the end of the season.
"We have to prioritise which players we can get on loan and then we've got to look abroad to bring the other two or three in, which we are doing at the moment.
"I would think it makes sense if we can get players on loan, rather than spending massive money, until you know if you're in the Premier League or not.
"But I'm sure if the right striker came about and we've got the realistic money, I think Vincent (Tan, Cardiff's owner) would listen to us.
"We need to try and get a move on so we've got one or two in straight away in January, rather than the last minute again."
Cardiff remain in the relegation zone after beating Brighton 2-1 at home before the international break.
But Cardiff have won two of their last four games and Warnock believes his side, written off by many at the start of the season, are becoming more competitive with each passing week.
"I think we can do better than what we have done," Warnock said. "We've got to eliminate those mistakes and continue to put teams under pressure.
"We've got a run now where we're playing teams who are not in the top six, not beyond us."
Having given his squad a few days off during the international break, Warnock himself is refreshed for the coming weeks after a four-day trip to New York with his wife Sharon.
"When you get to my age (Warnock turns 70 on December 1) and you look at the news and the newspapers, everyone you know is passing away and there's all sorts of things going on in the world," he said.
"So you have got to grasp everything while you can, hence it was probably the best four days of my life in New York with my wife.
"We had an absolutely amazing time. On the last day, we booked lunch at a place in the middle of Central Park called the Boat House.
"We got a horse and carriage from the hotel and, as we're driving through 'clippety-clop', the first snowflakes came down.
"So I turned to her and said 'See darling, I've organised everything, even a few snowflakes for you.'
"So for me, that is life. I just love moments like that, and that's why I love my lads.
"Whatever happens with us, I know my team will give me everything."
