Brentford's move for Sampdoria midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard has been held up amid talks over a clause to reduce his salary if the club are relegated.
The Bees finished 13th in the Premier League last season after recovering from a mid-season wobble.
Sampdoria had previously accepted a £16 million bid for the 22-year-old, but the deal now appears to be stalling.
If the move can be resurrected, Damsgaard could prove a workable replacement for Christian Eriksen.
Speaking in a press conference earlier this week, Brentford boss Thomas Frank said: 'We're definitely still in the market. We're still out there looking and searching to see if there's someone.
'I am, overall, satisfied with the squad. I think we have the number of players we need for each position in defence, midfield and attack.
'Can we get that key player for the right price with the right abilities? We are definitely open to it. But it's not that we need to get a player in.
'Maybe one or two still, potentially, could leave. But again, that depends if there's more incomings or not, or how the squad is developing and injuries and so on. That will be discussed more in the coming weeks.'
He continued: 'We are very aware that we are a small club, probably still in the bottom two budgets. We have a good team, a good squad, and a good culture.
'I know there is a risk of relegation but I am a positive man and I am always looking up. I have a strong belief that we can do better than last year.
'This is the Premier League and the margins are so small, but we will do our very best to attack.'
Brentford get their Premier League campaign underway at Leicester on Sunday.