Crystal Palace missed out on a January bid for Khouma Babacar of Fiorentina.
According to a report on talkSPORT the Italian side resisted bids from Palace and Watford to take the striker to the Premier League.
Sam Allardyce suffered a month of frustrations in the transfer market as Palace slid head long into the relegation zone.
Babacar has only scored three goals this season but with his height and strength is ideally suited to playing in English football.
Allardyce was on the lookout for additional firepower to help Christian Benteke and also to provide cover for the former Liverpool striker.
Following Saturday’s 4-0 home defeat from Sunderland the extent of Palace’s problems has been laid bare with a rift developing between players and fans.
Allardyce has built a reputation as a great survivor but now faces the toughest test of his managerial career to save the London side from the drop with Benteke the only player that can be relied on to get among the goals.