Leeds United head coach Steve Evans says if he had signed off on a deal for Norwich City striker Kyle Lafferty in the winter transfer window it would have torn his dressing room apart.
Evans wanted to add the Northern Ireland international to his squad at Elland Road, with the Scot feeling he is lacking quality up front, something again evident in Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Watford in the FA Cup.
However, Leeds could not do a deal with Norwich to capture Lafferty and he remained at Carrow Road; an emergency loan has been mooted of late, but Evans is not keen on signing players just to get them fit for the European Championship and without the long term in mind.
"Norwich, what they were asking for, and if you added the package on top of that….", Evans said on BBC Radio Leeds.
And the Leeds boss insists such a deal would have split the dressing room at Elland Road.
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"I'm not going to give you the numbers because it would be unprofessional, but it was huge, huge and it would have completely ripped the dressing room apart.
"I have a big responsibility as a head coach. We're not saying somebody can't come in on a bit more if they've got that much more quality, but we can't have somebody with most lads earning one and somebody comes in and is earning 12.
"It just wouldn't be right", he added.
Evans has had to make do without his premier striker Chris Wood of late, the New Zealander being out injured, and his absence was again felt at Vicarage Road on Saturday.