Jim Goodwin insists Dundee United tabled a “really good offer” to Sam Dalby but were blown out of the water by a Bolton Wanderers deal that only Rangers or Celtic could have matched.
Former loan star Dalby, 25, notched 15 goals for the Tangerines last term and was a huge part of their European qualification.
The big frontman became a free agent in the summer after departing Wrexham.
And Courier Sport understands United pulled out the stops to keep him permanently, drawing up a contract that would have made him the highest paid player at Tannadice by some margin.
However, he penned a lucrative four-year deal with Bolton in EFL League One, underlining the disparity between sides in Scotland and teams in the English pyramid; something that will force Goodwin to “get creative”.
“I think everybody is now aware of how the money from the TV deal in England filters down into the Championship and lower leagues in England,” said Goodwin.
“It means these clubs have got some significant financial clout.
“If you look at what Bolton in League One have been able to offer Sam Dalby – and I won’t go into the numbers – I can say, there’s only two teams in our league that could have matched that.
“That’s where we’re at as a country, and that’s where we are as a club.
“We made Sam a really good offer, but the simple reality is we weren’t anywhere near the kind of money that he was offered in England.”
Scouring the markets
Goodwin has already added Iurie Iovu and Zac Sapsford to his ranks – arriving from clubs in Croatia and Australia, respectively – and further reinforcements are imminent.
There will be signings from the English leagues, including one midfielder that is likely to be tied up this week, and United will continually monitor Scottish talents.
But it is clear that Goodwin and head of recruitment Ross Goodwin intend to cast their net wide this summer.
He added: “We’ve got to be a bit creative.
“We’ve got to think outside the box. There are a number of really good, talented players all over Europe and sometimes you can unearth a couple of gems.
“There are some cracking players out there. We’ve got to do our homework and scour the markets and make sure that we get the best of what we can with the budget that we have available.
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