Italian Serie A side Napoli have had an effort to sign Moussa Dembele from Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur knocked back.
The Azzurri were keen on taking the Belgian to Italy to answer coach Maurizio Sarri's call for a midfielder, but have been forced to look elsewhere.
According to Italian broadcaster Sport Mediaset, Napoli approached Spurs with an offer to take Dembele on loan for the season. However, the north London side were not willing to play ball.
Napoli have since switched their attention to young Chelsea midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah and are closing on a deal to sign the Englishman.
Dembele has featured in all four of Spurs' Premier League games so far this season and manager Mauricio Pochettino has not been prepared to lose the midfielder.
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The situation has changed for Dembele, who complained earlier this summer that he was being handed little playing time at White Hart Lane.
Dembele said: "I've played so few minutes, it's a disappointment to me. At one point I showed what I've got and I thought I took my chance, but quite quickly again I fell out of the team.
"Do I get little credit at Tottenham? Yes, I have that feeling at times, but it's ultimately down to me. I have to stay positive", he added.
