An £85m Manchester United transfer rumour may have caused Bristol City to miss out on a target.
The Robins have previously been linked with a move for Portsmouth's Matt Clarke alongside the likes of Leeds United and Stoke City.
Bristol City need to add depth to their defensive options, with no news yet over the futures of loan stars Tomas Kalas and Jay Dasilva, both of whom have returned to parent club Chelsea.
Yet any hope the Robins held of signing Clarke is now dead in the water, with the player securing a move to Brighton & Hove Albion yesterday.
It is a knock-on effect from a transfer rumour involving Manchester United and Manchester City.
Both clubs have been linked with moves for Leicester City star Harry Maguire, and the Foxes are said to be willing to sell their key man this summer - but at a big cost.
Leicester will only sell Maguire at their huge asking price of £85m, and have earmarked Brighton star Lewis Dunk as a potential replacement.
The Foxes are said to be willing to part with £30m for Dunk - which has enabled the Seagulls to line up a reported £6m deal for Clarke.
A fee of £6m was too much for the likes of Bristol City and Leeds to afford for a defender, with Brighton also having the lure of the Premier League.
It means the Robins will have to look elsewhere having been priced out of the market for Clarke.
