TONY PULIS wants Middlesbrough’s goal-shy forwards to find form rather than dip into the transfer market on deadline day – and hopes the acquisition of exciting winger Jack Harrison will help the cause.

Boro could still make a fresh attempt to bring in Everton midfielder Mo Besic before the window closes at 11pm tonight, although when he spoke after the goalless draw with Sheffield Wednesday he hinted nothing else was on the cards.

Confirmation that Harrison, 21, had completed his loan move from Manchester City arrived before the Owls game kicked off and it is hoped he can provide a different spark of creativity to help Middlesbrough score more goals.

The former New York City talent, an England Under-21 international who moved to City earlier yesterday for £4m, watched from the stands as Pulis’ side failed to score at home for the fourth time in five games under him.

“Jack is a wide player,” said Pulis. “I like playing with wide players and he gives us the option. He has not played any games in America because it’s the pre-season, so we will have to see what he is like fitness wise.

“He is a very talented player, he has good pace and can play off people as well. He can see a pass and can score a goal. We are doing this, not just with this season in mind because if he does well we are hoping Man City will let us have him next year as well.”

Middlesbrough are desperate to find that knack in front of goal at the Riverside. There has clearly been improvements in terms of performance since Pulis took over, but a lack of potency is preventing them from climbing into the play-off zone.

And Pulis is clearly getting more frustrated with his side’s profligacy, knowing how he has inherited a squad which has had a lot of cash spent on improving the forward line.

He said: “It’s disappointing because it is another game where we have played, created six or seven clear cut chances to score goals where we haven’t.

“That’s three or four games I have been involved in where we have thrown points away, and even against Brighton in the FA Cup. The club has invested a lot of money in the forward line this year, the players at this club, we need them to come to the party.

“We look strong enough at the back, we looked creative enough, play good football at times, get lots of crosses into the box, and we get in to that final third a lot.

“We need them to be on the end of things of creating something out of nothing for themselves. We bring Britt Assombalonga and Patrick Bamford off and then bring Rudy Gestede and Martin Braithwaite on. There’s a hell of a lot of money that Steve has invested in this group of players and we need them to score goals.”

Assombalonga had scored 12 times before Pulis' arrival and now he has not scored in the six games under the new boss. The manager said: “Strikers go up and down and you have to expect that. It’s not just Britt, two more come on and we need the four of them to provide the goals we need. If we were scoring we would be a lot further up the table.”

As well as the potential for a fresh last-minute move for Bosnian midfielder Besic, 25, today, Middlesbrough could move a couple of players on. Adlene Guedioura is the favourite to go, with Nottingham Forest the likely destination.

Oxford United’s attempts to take Marvin Johnson back have been unsuccessful so far, while Sunderland are finding it hard to prise Dimi Konstantopoulos to Wearside because there is a demand for a fee.

Asked whether much will happen on deadline day, Pulis said: “There’s 24 hours to go, I have been in the game too long to know if I say no and something comes up, then I don’t want to tell any lies or pre-empt anything. We will see.

“The club has invested a lot in this squad so to ask for money to change things is not fair, even if I think it is necessary. I don’t think that’s right. We have to understand that. Fingers crossed we have enough, whether it is through luck or whatever, let’s hope they start scoring.”