GWS football boss Jason McCartney has denied suggestions that negotiations between the Giants and St Kilda over a trade for Leek Aleer were difficult.
The Saints have turned their back on a move for Aleer despite being in the running for the key defender for the best part of the year.
Aleer had requested a trade away from GWS soon after the club's finals exit, having been in talks with the Saints over a long-term deal on better money than what the Giants could offer.
St Kilda have since opted against a move for Aleer, with the Moorabbin club having already secured Tom De Koning, Sam Flanders, Jack Silvagni and Liam Ryan this off-season.
Reports have suggested that the lack of a second-round selection for the Saints to offer GWS in a deal was a key part in negotiations collapsing.
The decision from the Saints has left Aleer "shattered", with McCartney telling Trade Radio on Friday that negotiations weren't as arduous as speculated, and that a second-round selection had been tabled.
"First, I'd just like to get on the record that this wasn't a difficult trade negotiation. That's absolutely fact," he said.
"We're not privy to what other clubs' strategies and how they're going to operate through this period. So I'm loath to comment on what other clubs are doing. What I will say is Leek is shattered. He's incredibly disappointed.
"Both Adam Kingsley and myself spoke with him yesterday afternoon. He's in Barcelona. He loves the club and was in tears at his exit interview.
"The reason for leaving was a great opportunity to play regular football, because at the moment, he's developing nicely, but we've just got a couple of really A-grade defenders ahead of him. It was obviously a good offer. We're not privy to what it was, but the speculation around it...
"So as hard as it was, he made the decision to leave, and that had been something that we'd sort of factored in for a long way out.
"There's a contract there with us. We've obviously had to go back and revisit that, because since our chats with Leek and his manager earlier in the year, and you sort of read the tea leaves that this is probably looking unlikely, we've recontracted 16 players this year, 10 of which weren't due to be out of contract until the end of next year.
"So Leek is more than welcome to be playing at the Giants next year, and there's something there, but he's in shock at the moment."
Quizzed further on the negotiations with the Saints, McCartney was short but confirmed a second-round selection was part of a deal discussed.
"A second rounder was part of it," he said.
"You can trade two years in the future too. So there's plenty of mechanisms. I'll leave it at that."
McCartney confirmed that if Aleer was to return to GWS that "nothing changes" for Jayden Laverde's move to the club later this off-season.
GWS are also set to open talks with Melbourne on Friday over a deal for Clayton Oliver.
