Wayne Rooney fears Derby's January targets will end up elsewhere if the sale of the club is not completed imminently.
Derby are currently operating under a transfer embargo after failing to pay players and staff last month, and the cash flow problems are not being helped by the delay in the proposed £60million takeover by Sheikh Khaled's Derventio Holdings.
Asked if the embargo had scuppered potential transfer deals, after he had sealed his first win since being appointed as permanent manager against Bournemouth on Tuesday, Rooney replied: 'Not scuppered at the minute, but the longer it goes on I am sure there are other teams that will be sniffing around players.