A frustrated Marco Silva says Fulham have ‘wasted too much time’ over the summer in failing to sign players to supplement his first-team squad and that ‘it is already too late’ to change the situation.

For the third week in a row, the Portuguese head coach took aim at his club’s approach to recruitment and told the assembled press at Motspur Park that ‘nothing is very close’ in terms of new signings. Silva said:

“Nothing’s changed because we haven’t signed any player. It is probably not possible to sign a striker [this late in the window], but we will see. We need two wingers and one midfielder. We need depth, quality, at least three signings. Nothing is very, very close now. We’ve wasted a lot of time, it’s already too late. If they come, they can settle [in], but nothing is very close right now.

It’s difficult for me to say what is going to happen, or not. It’s not like I expected. I think, as a manager we don’t have any other solutions, but to do it [sign players]. If we don’t, we will not be in the conditions to play [in the] Premier League.”

Asked specifically about what deals Fulham might be able to do on deadline day, the Fulham boss said:

“I don’t believe in miracles, we have to already be prepared. We have to be ready for the [deadline] day, but if we [were] better prepared or organised, it’s better.”