Leeds United identified USMNT international and FC Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson as their primary target during last month's transfer window.
Reportedly, the Whites approached the Austrian champions with an opening gambit of £15 million, which the Salzburg club promptly rejected.
Leeds returned to the negotiating table with an improved £20 million offer, but the message was staunch and clear from the Champions League side: their players were not for sale in the winter window.
It is a policy the Austrian Bundesliga champions tend to operate annually, says Salzburger Nachrichten journalist Alexander Bischof.
However, this year the need to retain key players such as Aaronson has been all the more pressing.
That is because the Bulls are competing in the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League for the very first time in the club's history.
Last night, the Alpine side hosted German giants FC Bayern Munich at the Red Bull Arena.
Salzburg took the lead through Junior Adamu during the first half, assisted by Leeds target Aaronson.
The American and his side were unable to cling onto victory, conceding a late equaliser to Bayern's Kingsley Coman, but gave a strong account of themselves ahead of their Round of 16 second leg tie in Munich.
No player created more chances for his teammates than Aaronson on the night. His five shot assists was the most by a player aged 21-or-under since Lionel Messi in 2008.
To say the least, Aaronson's performance in the Champions League knockouts must have had Salzburg executives rubbing their hands and wiping their brows.
In keeping their resolve during the January window, they were able to retain a key figure in their historic Champions League run, and in all likelihood when Aaronson moves on this summer, they will be able to command a greater figure than the sums Leeds approached with last month.
That doesn't rule out Leeds entirely as a possible destination, but Aaronson's display will certainly have alerted other clubs to his capabilities.
German magazine SportBILD claim four Bundesliga clubs are interested in acquiring the former Philadelphia Union man.
Meanwhile, Aaronson's Salzburg coach Matthias Jaissle has described the player as 'special' and an individual who possesses a 'monster mentality'.
If Leeds are to return in the summer for Aaronson's signature, Victor Orta must prepare for resistance yet again. Depending on how far Salzburg progress in the Champions League, the likelihood is the deeper they go in the tournament, the more in-demand Aaronson becomes, which will only lead to an increase in the asking price.
While this is an unwanted situation for Orta and his team, it does not rule out the possibility of Aaronson's addition - it only makes signing him more difficult.
