Everton reportedly agreed a deal with Manchester City to re-sign Jack Rodwell on a loan basis on transfer deadline day.
The midfielder moved to the Etihad Stadium for £12m in the summer of 2012, but injuries have limited him to just 22 appearances since then.
As a result, the 22-year-old was due to return to Goodison Park in a bid to kick-start his career, according to The Sun.
However, the report added that City manager Manuel Pellegrini called off the move after it became clear that he would not be successful in his pursuit of Porto midfielder Fernando.
Had Rodwell made the switch, then Gareth Barry would have turned his loan spell with Everton from City into a permanent transfer to comply with Premier League rules regarding the number of loanees that each club is permitted to have in its squad.
