Sunderland saw a Deadline Day approach for Peterborough United's Mark Beevers rejected, according to Posh owner Darragh MacAnthony.
The Posh owner told The Hard Truth podcast that former Sunderland boss Lee Johnson was keen on signing the defender, but the Black Cats were put off by his age and wages.
It's not clear whether this was a loan move or a permanent move, but talks broke down early in the window.
Sunderland's hierarchy must understand the buck stops at the top as the embarrassment continues
MacAnthony revealed that the club then revisited the deal on Deadline Day, but the Championship side had changed their stance on their club captain.
He said: "If Beevers wasn't playing or involved, if we can get him out until the end of June, his wages could free up and bring in two [players].
"Beevs could go and get some games and then come back to us in the summer. So, we'd obviously approached clubs earlier in the window, one of them was Sunderland.
"Lee Johnson did want him and Sunderland at the time felt his age, they didn't like his age, then come deadline day we were getting calls asking to bring him in.
"I think they'd just lost 6-0 or something. I'm not having a dig at Sunderland but at that stage we'd made the decision, with everything going on in the window, bar Dembele nobody is leaving.
"Beevs is our club captain and he's back in around it. The manager has got him in the team and we don't want to lose him now. We can't replace him.
"For all the reasons I've just said. We didn't want to lose those players."
