Halifax Town striker Lee Gregory was '˜desperate' to sign for Crawley Town

And in a revealing interview about a busy transfer deadline day on Friday (January 31), the Reds boss also said outgoing midfielder Nicky Adams told him he wanted to leave the club ahead of his move to Rotherham.

John Gregory would not directly name Lee Gregory but said the club had three offers turned down for a player, the last of which was slightly over the odds for what he felt he was worth.

The Crawley Observer learned that at least two bids were rejected by the Shaymen on the final day of the window on Friday for 25-year-old Lee Gregory, who has scored 19 goals in 26 appearances this term.

The striker ended up staying with the Non-League club despite taking the day off from his job as an electrician to resolve his future.

And today (Monday) John Gregory said: “Well we sat until 9pm on Friday night (trying to do the deal). You’ll have to speculate (who the player was) but we did make three offers for a player and we were turned down three times.

“I got to the valuation I thought the player was worth, and again I’m not saying who the player was, you can speculate on that, but we reached that and were turned down so that was that.

“It was very disappointing for us because I know for a fact the player was desperate to come for us. But his chairman just wouldn’t budge, and I felt enough was enough and I walked away from it.”

Three players left the Broadfield on Friday - Nicky Adams was sold to Rotherham, Gary Alexander left on loan to Burton Albion until the end of the season and Emile Sinclair left to join fellow League Two club Northampton, on a loan deal that will be made permanent at the end of the season.

The one player who joined after Reds missed out on their only main target was Ross Atkins, the Derby goalkeeper on a 28-day emergency loan deal.

Millers boss Steve Evans finally signed a player he came close to buying in November, and Gregory said Nicky Adams ‘turned his back on Crawley Town’ by leaving.

He said: “Nicky told me categorically that he wanted to leave Crawley. He wants to go back up north and he’s not going to sign a new contract here at Crawley. He didn’t want to be here so that was that.”

While Gregory admitted frustration at not bringing in his main target he said he was hopeful of making a number of loan additions when that window opens next Saturday (February 8).

And speaking about building a side to challenge for the play-offs next season he said he was pleased to shift “three of the highest earners” from the wage bill.

All the other news on a busy transfer deadline day - including Gregory’s “pride” at centre backs Kyle McFadzean and Joe Walsh for turning down “much more money” to join another club, will be revealed in Wednesday’s Crawley Observer.