Bristol City manager Gary Johnson insists recent experiences have not put him off recruiting overseas talent.

With the transfer window due to reopen next month, Johnson is scouring the market for potential bargain buys as he seeks to build for the future.

And his brother, Pete – City's chief scout – is said to have his finger on the pulse in Europe and beyond.

City's boss could be excused for feeling reticent about trying to entice foreign players, given the problems he encountered during the close season.

His long courtship and ultimate rejection of Egyptian international star Emad Meteb made headlines both here and across north Africa and left City officials feeling red-faced and frustrated in equal measure.

When Johnson turned his search to an unnamed striker playing club football in Austria, circumstances again contrived to sabotage any proposed transfer.

But the Londoner remains committed to searching the globe for untapped talent and claimed he is prepared to take a chance if the "right player" becomes available at the "right price".

He revealed: "We are sent hundreds of videos of players every month and we look at them all. If I mentioned every single one of them in the media, we'd never talk about anything else!

"It's a matter of sifting through them carefully and knowing the people you are dealing with at the other end. There are a lot of agents out there and they are all trying to find their players clubs over here.

"You have to learn which agents you can trust and which ones know about the Championship and what is required at this level.

"It's not easy and, for every player we sign from abroad, you can be sure we've turned down another 900."

Johnson plucked Australia international midfielder Nick Carle from Turkish club football 12 months ago and took a chance on Hungarian centre-back Tamas Vasko, signing the 22-year-old on loan from Ujpest.

Should he venture back into the overseas market, Johnson said he knows exactly what he would be looking for.

He explained: "The secret is to spot good young players and pick them up before they become big stars.

"Buying potential is cheaper than paying for the finished article and clubs like Bristol City have to get them before they become big names.

"We've worked very hard to build contacts outside of this country and we're always looking to Europe to see what might be available."

That said, Johnson is unlikely to return to Egypt any time soon in an attempt to bolster his squad.

Addressing supporters at City's recent annual meeting, Johnson spoke openly of the complexities and cultural differences which caused Meteb's £1.5 million transfer to hit the rocks in July.

The 25-year-old striker agreed terms and was photographed in City kit inside Ashton Gate, only for the deal to fall through when, against Johnson's wishes, he returned to Egypt to play one more game for Al-Ahly.

City's manager revealed: "It's not like dealing with players in this country. Egyptian players can have any number of agents, all of whom have a claim on them.

"We found ourselves dealing with all sorts of people who were nothing to do with the selling club and the whole thing was very complex.

"It's a bit like Argentina, where players are owned by individuals rather than by the clubs.

"They have a different culture and, in the end, it made me think the deal wasn't the best thing for Bristol City.

"Meteb decided to go back and play when I'd asked him not too and, from that point, I was asking myself how committed he would really be to us."