Belgium defender Nicolas Lombaerts insists a failed medical was not behind the collapse of his proposed move to Sunderland.
The Zenit St Petersburg player is reported to have been on Wearside on Tuesday, and that the deal had been shelved because of an issue picked up by medics.
However, the 30-year-old is adamant that it was his decision to pull the plug on a £5 million transfer.
Lombaerts told www.sporza.be: "I've made the choice not to move to Sunderland. The story of the medical testing is not right.''
Sunderland, as is their policy on transfers, have not commented on the situation, although sources close to the club have confirmed the breakdown in talks.
Meanwhile, the Black Cats are hopeful of concluding an £8 million swoop for Dynamo Kiev's Netherlands international midfielder Jeremain Lens after he headed for the north east on Wednesday.
Ready for takeoff ✈️ pic.twitter.com/ybmVQ2i6Im
- Jeremain Lens (@jeremainlens) July 15, 2015
Lens, who watched his club's 2-0 Ukrainian Super Cup defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk in Odessa on Tuesday evening, tweeted a photograph of himself about to board a plane.