Stoke City chairman Peter Coates has revealed that the Potters tried to sign Danny Ings from Liverpool in the January transfer window after they failed with a bid for Daniel Sturridge.
The Potters wanted to make additions to their squad in the winter window as they looked to boost their chances of avoiding relegation from the Premier League.
With only three games to play and four points from safety, Stoke increasingly look set to play their football in the Championship next season.
Fans are concerned, especially given the difficult nature of earning promotion from the Championship, and the club have been criticised for their January business.
But Coates says Stoke wanted Sturridge from Liverpool and then, when he favoured West Brom, moved for Ings, only for the Reds to block an exit for the striker.
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"We did try to strengthen again in January, it wasn’t something we were unaware of, but football is more complicated than that", the Stoke supremo was quoted as saying by the Sentinel.
"We tried to spend money, but for whatever reason we weren’t successful.
"Good strikers who will make a difference are not easy to find, as anyone in football will tell you.
"We tried to sign Daniel Sturridge from Liverpool for example, but he preferred West Bromwich Albion because he wanted to move to that area", Coates said.
"We tried for Danny Ings, but once they let Sturridge go they wouldn’t let him go."
Stoke are set to travel to Liverpool this coming Saturday, before then hosting Crystal Palace and rounding off their campaign with an away game at Swansea City.
