Caley Thistle manager John Hughes believes the emergence of Ryan Christie can save him dipping into the transfer market in the summer.
The 19-year-old attacking midfielder can fill the void up front, reckons Hughes, after the departure of Norwegian Torbjorn Agdestein left him with only one senior forward in Billy Mckay.
The Inverness manager would like to strengthen his squad after the season ends but is already looking to make Christie and 19-year-old midfielder Liam Polworth first-team regulars next term.
He said: “I am quite happy to keep working with what we have, but I like to think we can still get maybe one or two in just to keep spicing it up and to provide competition for places. If the chairman Kenny Cameron says to me we have not got any money, then fair enough. I am quite happy to keep working with players here.
“As a manager and coach, I know there is still plenty more to come from these boys. It is my job to bring the best out of them. Young Ryan Christie has broken through into the first team and the Scotland set up. Liam Polworth is coming through and we are quite happy to have them tied up and re-signed for next year.
“We have a lot of young players, I would include Nick Ross, Graeme Shinnie, Aaron Doran and Ross Draper in that category.
“I am hoping some of them go away in the summer, reflect and come back and say they want to get higher up the food chain.”
Both Christie, son of Caley Jags legend Charlie, and Polworth have come through the Inverness youth system, a fact which is not lost on Hughes.
He added: “We have the emergence of Christie and what he has done for the young dressing-room.
“They are all looking at him and thinking they want a shot at the first team, if he can do it then I can do it. We are raising the bar from within the club.
“Ryan is in there and he is asking questions of James Vincent, Nick Ross, Danny Williams and Marley Watkins, all the guys that play in an advanced forward role.
“If they want to sit back and rest on their laurels, it will not be too long before the kids get the strip. Liam has been different class and is one of the best passers.”