GLENN Roeder was pleased with the fruits of his deadline day labours, but admitted he would have loved to have added another striker to his ranks.

In one of the busiest January deadline days for Norwich, the City boss managed to secure the services of three players on loan - Reading pair Alex Pearce and James Henry and Arsenal teenager Kieran Gibbs.

Add to that Wednesday's arrival of Middlesbrough defender Matthew Bates on a temporary deal, and Roeder was able to increase the depth of his squad, which had seen more outgoings than incomings up until this week.

But while Roeder was pleased to get all four players, he revealed he'd been close to adding an experienced Championship striker to his ranks - only for a Premier League club to steal him away at the last minute.

"I got everything I wanted," Roeder said, speaking at this morning's press conference. "But I was really wanting another striker, to be honest. An experienced striker. The one that I wanted ended-up moving to the Premiership on loan, but that's life."

Arguably as important as a new loan signing was the news that Manchester City would be allowing teenager Welsh starlet Ched Evans to remain at Carrow Road until the end of the season.

Evans has now notched four goals in 12 appearances since joining Norwich in December, but the 19-year-old was due to return to Eastlands in mid-February under the terms of his deal.

But with Blues' boss Sven Goran Eriksson presumably comfortable with his options in attack, he was happy to allow Evans to remain in Norfolk for the remainder of the campaign.

"But what was important was yesterday afternoon it came through from Manchester City that Ched could stay until the end of the season, because that would have been a hammer blow losing out on the guy I wanted if Ched had been called back in a few weeks' time," added Roeder. "But we'll be fine and we've still got another loan, I think, if we need to use it."

Another player Roeder missed out on was Birmingham defender Martin Taylor. The will he-wont he saga over the future of the 28-year-old has dominated much of the January window, with the Canaries keen to sign him permanently following a hugely successful month loan in November.

Norwich had been locked in talks with Birmingham chief executive Karen Brady in a bid to agree a fee for the former England Under 21. But in the end no deal was possible.

"He wasn't for sale in the end," said Roeder. "They never got a central defender in so they needed to keep him. It's as simple as that. Coventry apparently bid the same amount of money that we did. We ended up offering what she wanted, but he couldn't be bought.

GETTING SHIRTY: Bates (left) and Gibbs are presented to the media at Colney today

"Alex (Mcleish) was desperate for a centre back, who ended up going to Bolton. Had he got that it would have freed-up Martin."

Taylor may be one player revisited by Roeder in the summer, with the Canaries boss dismissing suggestions the Carrow Road board had been tight-fisted with his budget. Of all of Roeder's January dealings, only Newcastle's Matthew Pattison commanded a fee. But Roeder said he was more than happy with the size of his transfer pot.

"Just kept my powder dry," was Roeder's response when asked why more wasn't spent on transfer fees. "There was money there to spend. It was just trying to find the right player who takes us beyond this season. We tried to buy two, got knocked back on both of them and we'll have to wait to the summer perhaps for those two lads.

"No criticism of the board. There was money there to spend if I could have found the right players to spend it on. These lads here that have come on loan, the clubs want them back. They're here for the experience and to become better players when we send them back.

"Some of the fees that were being paid, especially for players at the end of the career; you sign them, pay an amount of money for them and they're free transfers straight away. Others managers do what they have to do. I've always been very careful with other people's money and make sure we get value for money when we do purchase.

"I'm confident that what I didn't spend now will be available in the summer, plus more."