Wolves manager Mick McCarthy heads into tonight’s FA Cup fourth-round replay at Crystal Palace admitting he is frustrated at not being able to do more business before the transfer window closed.

McCarthy, whose side are chasing a fifth-round tie at home to Aston Villa, was prepared to smash the transfer record at Molineux to boost his relegation-threatened squad.

However, he failed in a £5million bid to sign Hull winger Stephen Hunt and also saw a move for Palace defender Nathaniel Clyne fall through when the 18-year-old rejected a switch to the Black Country.

McCarthy’s only dealings in January saw him bring in midfielder Adlene Guedioura and winger Geoffrey Mujangi Bia – both on loan from Charleroi.

McCarthy, who paid a club record £6.5million to sign striker Kevin Doyle from Reading last summer, said: “We would have liked to do some more business and we were prepared to break it (our transfer record).

“In Adlene and Geoffrey we have signed two really good players and we tried our damnedest to get other players in.

“We tried to make other signings but we can’t force people to come, and we can’t force people to sell them. We had contingencies in place as well. But Plan B got scuppered and Plan C got scuppered.

“I won’t discuss who they are but we have had bids in for lots of players.

“They have all been batted back and there is not a thing that we can do about it.

“We offered to pay over the odds on three or four players, maybe even more.”

Wolves will be without winger Matt Jarvis after he picked up a calf problem against Hull.

Jarvis will be replaced by Bia, who will make his first start for the club.

Striker Doyle, who suffered a blow to his calf and Achilles against Hull, is expected to be fit.