West Ham United manager David Moyes has firmly denied that Chelsea submitted a deadline day offer for midfielder James Garner.
Reports had suggested that the London club made a late approach for the player, which was reportedly rejected by the club in question.
When questioned regarding whether a formal bid had been received, Moyes stated that such reports were entirely inaccurate and that he was unaware of the source behind the speculation.
He emphasised that no such offer had been received.
Despite dismissing the transfer speculation surrounding Garner, Moyes acknowledged that his squad is currently examining the possibility of signing available players from the free agent market.
The manager explained that this option was being considered due to being left with a reduced squad following the conclusion of the summer transfer window.
The club successfully completed the signings of Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Jack Grealish during the recent window.
However, four senior squad members departed within a 24-hour period at the end of the transfer window.
Iliman Ndiaye represented the most notable departure, with Nathan Patterson, Tim Iroeghunam and goalkeeper Beto also leaving the club during that timeframe.
Additionally, a proposed transfer for Folarin Balogun from AS Monaco valued at £40million collapsed in the early hours of Wednesday morning after the player withdrew from the agreement.
With only 18 senior professionals currently available for selection, Moyes revealed that exploring the free agent market had become necessary.
He expressed his desire for the squad to maintain confidence in the direction the club is taking, describing this as a significant priority for him personally.