Thaksin Shinawatra

SVEN-GORAN Eriksson and owner Thaksin Shinawatra held talks on Saturday morning as the Blues' search for new players continues.

The City chief has made it clear that he would like two or three signings during the January window to bolster the club's chances of finishing in the top six or even grabbing the fourth Champions League place.

Defeat at Everton on Saturday sent the Blues tumbling from fourth to seventh in the table on goal difference and reinforced the need to bring in at least one striker and possibly another midfielder.

But the manager was giving little away after his conversation with Shinawatra.

"I spoke to him and we will see what happens. We are working on things and hopefully they will happen but it must do so soon because January is soon over," said Eriksson.

The manager knows lack of goals is the crunch, saying: "We have to create more chances and that is a little bit of a problem that has been hanging around us all season."

Eriksson likes Dinamo Zagreb's 21-year-old Mario Mandzukic but the Croatians are in no hurry to sell after pocketing cash in the summer for Vedran Corluka and Eduardo.

Swede Johan Elmander, Real Madrid's Julio Baptista and Ajax's Klaas Jan Huntelaar are the latest men to be ruled out after one-time target Nicolas Anelka's move to Chelsea.

Huntelaar would cost around £18m and Juventus are favourites for his signature.