John Hartson’s transfer from Wimbledon to Coventry is off, according to his agent, after the clubs failed to agree the fee.

Sky Blues chairman Bryan Richardson, who said the club had no money for a new player last month, has denied claims by Jonathan Barnett that the deal is doomed.

Barnett, who brought the player to Coventry to discuss personal terms yesterday, said the eleventh hour collapse was due to the clubs, and not the player.

It is thought that the deal to sign Hartson involved swapping aCedric Roussel, who could not agree terms with the Dons.

Without the swap, Wimbledon wanted more money than the Sky Blues were prepared to pay.

He said:

"We had agreed terms with Coventry, and the collapse of the deal has nothing to do with John.

"I don't think the transfer between the two clubs could be agreed. Hopefully something can be done to resurrect the deal - but at the moment it is dead."

Hartson has yet to undergo a medical for Coventry. A knee injury has previously killed planned moves to Tottenham and Glasgow Rangers.

Meanwhile, the Sky Blues striking crisis could be easing, as John Aloisi is making a faster-than-expected recovery from injury, and Cedric Roussel also hopes for a quick return to action.