Hibernian manager Paul Heckingbottom insists he would only sign players who "share our values" after missing out on Scunthorpe's Funso Ojo.
The Easter Road club had been pursuing the Belgian midfielder since May but, after matching Aberdeen's offer for the player, were unable to conclude a deal.
Ojo now looks set to complete a move to Pittodrie, with Heckingbottom revealing that he had pulled out of the transfer after "circumstances changed".
Speaking after Hibs' penalty shoot-out win over Stirling Albion in the Betfred Cup, he said: "We're not going to do (this transfer). It's not for us. We don't want to do it.
"You have to sign players who believe in the same thing as us and want to come for the right reasons. We want the dressing room to be unbelievable; we want to make sure we get players who share our values.
"That has been enhanced with the new ownership. I thought the deal was done in May but there was a clause in his contract.
"Next we knew, Scunthorpe accepted an offer from Aberdeen that we matched. Then things began to change which created red lights.
"Good luck to him. Circumstances changed and you then see different things in people."
