Crystal Palace have missed out another transfer target tonight after Patrice Evra completed a permanent move to Marseille.
Evra has been linked with a switch to Selhurst Park throughout the transfer window with Sam Allardyce determined to bolster his defensive options.
But the 35-year-old has opted to return to his homeland with Marseille, signing an 18-month deal at the Stade Velodrome.
Evra will offer a wealth of experience to the Ligue 1 club, having spent eight trophy-laden years at Manchester United earlier in his career.
Palace are entrenched in a relegation battle, having failed to win any of their last eight top-flight games.
Allardyce has secured just one point from his opening five games in charge and admitted last week that he has already turned to second-choice targets in an effort to improve his squad.
"I've had that many players on my desk the last two weeks, looked at that many reports, watched so many games, that in the end we got them to file all that (list of players) down.
"The ones we've already done that on are not coming now, so we're down to the next level on what's available and who might come.
We've done a good dozen [approaches[ or so, and we've got one [signing, Jeffrey Schlupp]," said the Palace boss.
