Steve Cooper says he didn't push to sign Djed Spence this summer because Wales and Liverpool star Neco Williams was always his number-one choice.
Spence was a key man for Cooper in Nottingham Forest's successful promotion charge last season, with the on-loan man garnering rave reviews for his displays.
It had been thought Forest would look to secure his signature permanently for their return to the Premier League but Tottenham swooped in to buy him from Middlesbrough for a fee worth £15million.