Phil Parkinson was left bitterly frustrated yesterday as his bid to bring Paul Benson to City finally ended in defeat.

Parkinson had been working to get the Charlton striker, 32, on board for the past week, initially on loan with a view to a permanent £100,000-plus deal. But complications are understood to have arisen following a medical he underwent at the club on Wednesday, meaning the Bantams were unable to seal the deal before the 5pm deadline.

Parkinson said: “We had chats with Paul and on Wednesday I would have said it was very, very close, but then it took a step back.

“I don’t really want to go into the stumbling blocks but, as ever, the chairmen tried their best alongside me to get this deal done.

“I had thought for the past few days that this deal was a nailed-on certainty.”

Full story in today's Telegraph & Argus