By Graeme Bailey
Last Updated: September 5, 2011 11:21am
Bolton Wanderers boss Owen Coyle says that none of the bids made for Gary Cahill were anywhere near their valuation of the player.
Both Arsenal and Tottenham made late bids for the England defender, but Bolton stood firm.
Reports suggest that Bolton wanted £17million for Cahill, who is out-of-contract next summer.
Now Coyle has revealed that no club put a bid in that reached double figures.
It is believed Arsenal and Tottenham's bids were heavily intensified with add-ons, that would have been based on league finishes.
However, Coyle insists Bolton are not interested in what they might earn, and that they only wanted a set fee.
"As much as some clubs are looking at Gary, nobody got close to that figure [we wanted] and what was offered was not even considered," Coyle told Sky Sports News.
"As far as I am led to believe, there were no offers - in terms of written ones, which reached double figures, which is a million miles away from what Gary can be [valued at].
"We can talk about add-ons, but it is what is guaranteed, not about conjecture - you get this and that if this happens, but that might never happen.
"The bottom line is you put down a fee, and then you may get add-ons from that point then that is different, but in terms of what was concrete it was nowhere near."
Coyle maintains he had no desire to stand in Cahill's way.
"I understand Gary's postion that he wants to play for an elite club, and I think any player should aspire to play at the top level," said the manager.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,,11670_7151965,00.html