FRUSTRATED Wanderers boss Neil Lennon admits he has had considerable problems attracting the right striker to the Macron Stadium.

The Whites chief is still waiting on an answer from Charlton Athletic’s Igor Vetokele, and hopes to have the Angola international’s loan wrapped up in time for tomorrow’s home game against Championship leaders Brighton.

Other irons are also in the fire, but the task of finding someone to solve his side’s problems in front of goal has not been an easy one – with Lennon limited both by finance and a lack of talent willing to swap top flight security for regular football in the second tier.

Speaking to The Bolton News, the Northern Irishman summed up his aggravation at a striker chase that may yet prove fruitless.

“You keep persevering with it and just hope that something comes up,” he said. “You’ve got to have plan A to Z and probably more than that. It’s part of the process and there’s no guarantees you can get any player in.

“We’ve made strides on a couple of targets so we’re hoping something will happen.

“I think some Premier League players feel they have a chance of getting into the first team and see the Championship as a step backwards at that point in their career.

“But what we’re offering is a chance to come and play first-team football, get back in the public eye playing again.”

Lennon has had problems convincing top-flight players to drop down a division but insists the facilities and location at Wanderers is not a factor.

“I think the location here is good,” he said. “You’ve got Manchester and Liverpool 20-30 minutes away and you get a train back to London pretty comfortably too. I don’t think it’s a big issue.”

Although the emergency loan window restricts him to players based in England and Wales, the Wanderers boss is continuing to monitor targets for the New Year and beyond, casting his net as far as finances will allow.

“We’re looking at all aspects of the game,” he added.

“We’ve looked everywhere – non league, abroad, Scotland, and we’re not just looking for the here and now, because players’ contracts are coming up and you’re looking at some fresh blood for next year.

“So we’re working hard all the time and making plans for the future.”