Former Albion boss Micky Adams has rejected a bid by his old club to buy Andrew Whing.
And a permanent move to the South Coast for Whing now seems unlikely following the Coventry defender's early recall from his loan spell.
Albion chairman Dick Knight made a verbal offer to Sky Blues chief Adams during Whing's stint at Withdean.
"Brighton made an offer for him while he was on loan down there but I turned it down because it wasn't acceptable," Adams revealed.
"It wasn't a written offer, it was an offer put to me by Dick. We never said Andrew Whing was for sale, all I said was we were sending him down to Brighton to get games and get his confidence back.
"He is our player and we reserve the right to say whether he is for sale or not."
Adams recalled Whing over Christmas, two games before his three-month loan spell with Albion was due to end.
The 22-year-old has been in the starting line-up for struggling Coventry's last two Championship matches, Saturday's 1-1 draw at home to Southend and a 2-1 defeat at Leeds on Monday.
Adams said: "He looks fine. It has done him the world of good being down at Brighton, as I thought it would. It was the right club for him, because of the staff and people I know there.
"He is in my team at the moment and I think the lad himself would want to play in the Championship rather than League One."
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