"Yes, we did come close to signing Rangers star Carlos Cuellar," Pulis told The Sentinel.

"We did make inquiries and I was more than confident. But once you hear that a club of Villa's size are in for him big time you clearly fear the worst.

"Of course it's disappointing, but there is no point dwelling on it. We are out there not just looking, but making serious attempts to bring new faces in.

"No-one needs to tell me what we need and when we need it by, but I will not be panicked into doing the wrong deals for this football club. And by wrong I mean in a footballing and financial sense."