Stoke City boss Mark Hughes has ruled out signing Juan Agudelo after the striker failed to gain a work permit for a second time.
The USA international arrived at the Britannia Stadium in January on a free transfer despite being denied a permit at the end of 2013.
The 21-year-old was sent out on loan to Dutch side FC Utrecht soon after in order to get some valuable playing time, but the youngster has now been refused a work permit again.
"We are desperately disappointed for the boy himself because he's made a big effort," Hughes told The Sentinel.
"He came to us and then went out to Holland because he wanted to do everything in his power to help himself. Unfortunately, that's probably the end of it.
"You never say never, but we would probably have to wait something like two years for him to play the required number of games."
Stoke recently finished in ninth place in the Premier League table.
Jack Prescott
