Wolverhampton Wanderers pulled the plug on a late move for 21-year-old defender Edmond Tapsoba before Bayer Leverkusen sealed a swoop for him in January, according to The Athletic.
Sitting eighth in the Premier League table with 39 points, just two behind fifth-placed Manchester United, Wolves have done well to build on last season's performances.
After 27 games played, they have conceded a total of 32 goals and currently have the sixth-best record for goals against in the English top flight.
Despite having a decent defensive record, Wolves decided to dive into the transfer market in January before identifying Tapsoba as a potential signing.
However, Wolves pulled the plug on a late move for the 21-year-old centre-back, who then plied his trade for Vitoria Guimaraes.
Wolves watched Tapsoba for around six months when he was playing in Portugal and were ready to make a move for the youngster.
However, Nuno Espirito Santo decided against the transfer after Willy Boly returned from his injury sooner than expected.
Tapsoba ended up signing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen for a fee in the region of €18m on deadline day of the winter transfer window.
Wolves, on the other hand, are expected to go back in for a centre-back in the summer.
