Michael Appleton addresses Blackpool's failed attempt to sign Oxford United's Cameron Brannagan

It comes after the Seasiders triggered the midfielder’s release clause yesterday, only for the 26-year-old to end up signing a new three-year contract at Oxford United.

It’s understood Brannagan had even travelled to the North West to finalise a move to Bloomfield Road, before driving back to the Kassam Stadium last night once a new deal was put on the table.

Rather than bemoan another potential signing going to the wayside, Appleton was encouraged by the fact the Seasiders were able to table such a big offer – with Brannagan’s release clause understood to be in the region of £1.2m.

“I was delighted with the fact we were able, as a football club, to even be in a position to be able to do that,” Appleton said.

“That just shows we can do it and we have got the capability to do it.

“But clearly he must have been offered an incredible contract to stay and play at that level, where the lure of the Championship wasn’t enough to prise him away from a football club I know all too well.”

The Brannagan saga, a story that has dominated the last three transfer windows, comes after failed attempts to sign strikers Colby Bishop and Ellis Simms in recent weeks.

When asked if there was any concern over the club’s approach to recruitment this summer, Appleton added: “If you want to improve, you want to get better and you want to get better players, this is going to happen and we might have to get used to it.

“We will get good players into the building but sometimes we might miss one or two for various reasons.

“Whether that’s players we can’t meet their financial demands, whether it’s players who don’t want to go away from the part of the country they’re living in, whether it’s personal reasons, there are various reasons.

“But the reality is, if you always try and achieve and look to improve the squad and get better players, you’re going to miss out on players.

“But the biggest thing for me is that you want players who want to come and play for the football club.

“This is a fantastic football club and I’m aware of that. It’s got an unbelievable and incredibly well-supported group of fans.

“They don’t want to see a footballer coming to this club and not want to play for the club, end of story.

“If we’re going to sign a player that’s going to improve us, we need to make sure we bring in the players who are going to fight for the shirt and give it every single week on the pitch.”

Commenting on potential alternatives, Appleton said: “We were having conversations late last night with potential other targets, that’s football.

“When one goes away, if you dwell on it too long I will end up being wrapped up in all sorts of other stuff.

“You’ve always got to look to the next one. If one drops great, but if it doesn’t it’s ‘right, okay, you’re done and we move on’.”