Highly-rated winger Ross Stearn has turned down a move to Bath City during a frustrating few days on the recruitment front.
Chairman Manda Rigby revealed that Stearn had agreed to make the switch providing City were able to match his current wages at Weston-super-Mare.
However, the financial constraints at Mayday Trust Park meant that was not possible, forcing director of football Adie Britton and head coach Lee Howells to look elsewhere for reinforcements.
"We need to try to bring a couple of players in but it's difficult," said Howells, whose side entertain Tonbridge Angels on Saturday (3pm) before travelling to Eastbourne Borough on Tuesday (7.45pm).
"We have been trying everywhere to get players but there is not much around. For the last ten days Adie has been looking, I have been looking but we are getting knock-backs from both league and non-league clubs
"We put in seven days' notice of approach to Ross and Weston said we could speak to him. I had a really good chat and he was quite interested but said the only reason he would come to Bath was the money.
"We have a number of lads at the moment with knocks and strains. Charlie Griffin tweaked his groin a little bit on Tuesday, so we had to take him off.
"Aaron Brown was ill and Sekani [Simpson], who has just come back from injury, is virtually on his knees."
While the midweek trip to Eastbourne offers City a chance to extend their unbeaten away run to five games, Saturday's home encounter with Angels is a chance to end their winless run at Mayday Trust Park.
Tuesday's 3-2 defeat to Dorchester Town extended that sequence to six games, dating back a 3-2 win over Farnborough on November 3, but Howells refused to be downbeat.
"It was disappointing to get beat after what I thought was a reasonable performance," he said.
"Fair play to Dorchester, they had a go and shaded it in the first half, so I was glad we managed to come in level at 2-2. I thought we battled well in the second half and were worth at least a point.
"Our home form results-wise has not been fantastic. I think we feel obliged to play two up front at home and the fans want us to.
"But despite Tuesday's defeat, we look forward to Saturday when we can have another go and see where it takes us."
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