The Hammers had been linked with a move which would have cost £100,000 a week for Real Madrid's Ruud van Nistelrooy but that fell through when the former Manchester United star signed for Hamburg.

But Gold, who took over as co-chairman at Upton Park with David Sullivan a week ago, insisted the search would go on.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programme: "(We want) any centre forward, any striker, with a caveat that they must be able to score goals. There are lots of strikers who don't score goals.

"We're listening to any proposals and working hard to bring someone in. But the greatest danger was that this deal (van Nistelrooy) could have gone on and on and the window would have slammed shut on us.

"I would be hugely disappointed if we did not bring in a striker before the window closes. It would have to be someone of quality or there is no point."

Gold maintained that no West Ham players would be allowed to leave as the new regime, who have revealed the club is £110m in debt, attempted to stave off relegation.

Gold, however, did reveal that plans were being put in place in case the worst happened.

He said: "We will have a plan in place for relegation but hope that won't be the case.

"I'm hugely confident. I believe we could be in mid-table by the end of the season, but we are planning and making adjustments for the possibility of relegation."

He also revealed his belief that Gianfranco Zola would make "an exceptional manager given time" and insisted the club could keep top players such as Matthew Upson and Scott Parker even if they were relegated.

"I would hope so," said Gold. "We would do everything in our power to keep the players if we got relegated but I'm hugely confident we will keep our Premier League status."

Gold insisted the move for Van Nistelrooy, which puzzled those who wondered how a club in such debt could afford six-figure wages, would have been short term and designed to guarantee survival in the Barclays Premier League.

He said: "We wouldn't be prepared to pay somebody £100,000 a week for one and a half years. But we would be prepared to do so for four months.

"We did it at Birmingham with (Christophe) Dugarry for £50,000 a week and it saved us from relegation."

Gold also maintained that the club's proposed move into the Olympic stadium, three miles from Upton Park, after London 2012 could transform the club.

He said: "It's a dream. It could transform West Ham football club. As a fan I want to stay at Upton Park but I'm a realist.

"If West Ham is to move forward and challenge in due course, three or five years from now, we have to move into a state of the art, modern stadium.

"Everybody I've spoken to is in favour of the project. We are looking at the possibility of retractable seating. The Manchester City stadium has been hugely successful and we would like to emulate that."

Gold, however, reassured West Ham fans that the club's name would not be changed after suggestions that it could become 'West Ham Olympic'.

He added: "(The name of) West Ham United would never change while I am co-chairman of the football club. I wouldn't want that change.

"What you might do is call the stadium West Ham Olympic stadium. I can make a case for that."