St Johnstone have missed out on the signing of Finnish centre-back Ville Tikkanen, according to a report.
Simo Valakari has been looking to bolster his Saints squad since taking over after the sacking of Craig Levein, particularly in defence.
But he has reportedly been snubbed by a player in his homeland.
Valakari had identified Tikkanen as a target, according to Finnish journalist Eetu Ikola.
Ville Tikkanen explains St Johnstone snub
Instead, Tikkanen made the decision to sign for HJK upon leaving SJK, deciding against the chance to move abroad.
The 25-year-old admits he does have ambitions of playing in a foreign country but thinks playing for HJK for now best serves his long-term goals.
He reckons playing for the biggest club in his home country can open further doors for him.
“There were a few good options on the table,” Tikkanen told his new club’s website. “Also from abroad.
“My goal is to play abroad for a long time, but now I wanted to think about my own career.
“I strongly believe that HJK is the best possible step towards foreign countries for me at this point.
“In Finland, you can’t get higher than HJK, and it’s not wrong to say that it’s best to open the doors to the world from here, as long as you have first shown that you can do well here.”
Valakari has already exploited free agent market
Despite being appointed after the closure of the transfer window, Valakari has already been able to bolster his St Johnstone squad.
He has done so by completing the signings of two free agent defenders.
Left-back Barry Douglas will be better known to Scottish football fans after starring for Dundee United before moving on to Lech Poznan, Konyaspor, Leeds, Wolves, and back to Poznan.
While Valakari snapped up a player he has managed before in Croatian centre half Bozo Mikulic.