Championship side Bristol City were interested in luring Joe Allen to Ashton Gate this summer but were unable to put together a suitable wage package, according to Wales Online.

The Welshman has been in high demand this summer with previous club Stoke City making him a fresh contract offer as they tried to retain his services beyond the summer.

However, he rejected a potential stay at the bet365 Stadium to ply his trade elsewhere after spending six years with the Potters, dropping down to the second tier during his time in Staffordshire.

It looked as though he would be offered a return to the Premier League with promoted sides AFC Bournemouth and Fulham both believed to have been keen on the midfielder - but he was reportedly keen on a return to Wales.

Flynn Downes' departure has paved the way for the 32-year-old to link up with former side Swansea City and has now undertaken a medical before being officially unveiled, much to the displeasure of other sides who were keen on securing his services.

One of these sides is thought to be Nigel Pearson's Robins, with the second-tier outfit already failing to recruit Andy Rinomhota and are now set to miss out on Allen. As per Wales Online, they were unable to offer the latter sufficient terms.

The Verdict:

Allen would have been another excellent addition for the Robins and certainly would have helped Pearson's side climb up the table, even with Stoke recording underwhelming league finishes in recent campaigns.

However, they are right not to pay over the odds for his services even though he's a free agent, because their wage bill could end up meaning they go on to breach the EFL's financial rules if they aren't careful.

In the Robins' quest to build towards the top end of the second-tier table, needing to follow a strict business plan would hamper their progress as Reading have found out following their breach.

At 32, there's little chance of Pearson's side being able to sell him on for a huge amount in the future either, so they may not be too gutted that they have missed out.

And considering his previous links with Swansea, they always looked likely to win the race for his signature this summer following his departure from the bet365 Stadium. With this, they will surely have other irons in the fire.