Stoke City have reportedly cooled their interest in Matt Clarke.
The Portsmouth defender is in demand this summer, with a number of clubs said to be chasing his signature, including Bristol City, Leeds United and Premier League Brighton & Hove Albion.
Yet such is the interest in Clarke, that Stoke on Trent Live report that the Potters have opted to turn to other targets due to a rising price tag.
Brighton are said to be Clarke's preferred destination but a deal is yet to be reached, and Bristol City were last week credited with an interest in the defender, who has previously played alongside the Adam Webster.
The Robins are keen on a defender this summer, having sold Lloyd Kelly and seen both Jay Dasilva and Tomas Kalas return to parent club Chelsea - whilst City want to re-sign Dasilva and Kalas, their futures are yet to be resolved.
However, should the Robins decide to pursue Clarke, it is likely he will not come cheap.
The Portsmouth News report that Pompey are relaxed over the prospect of losing Clarke to a compensation package when his contract expires next year should their valuation of the defender not be met this summer.
Pompey CEO Mark Catlin has promised that they will keep the player should they not receive a bid they deem good enough.
He said: "There seems to be an assumption certain players will leave the club this summer, and they might well do.
"As much as there is a fascination to spend, conversely we're under no pressure to sell whatsoever. We are under zero pressure to sell.
"A player can be in the final year of his contract and we feel we're going to lose X amount by him not being sold or re-signed.
"Even if he's out of contract or it's going to a tribunal, if we don't feel it's the right deal for the football club now we won't do it. I have to stress that. We’re under zero pressure to sell.
"If it was right for the club to keep our players and take a hit in a year, we will do it. The onus is on the other clubs to make it tempting and the damage we can do with the money coming in to make it beneficial for our season. That's the only way we'd accept."
