Marco Silva admitted it is impossible for a club like Fulham to feel in control in the transfer market once better-resourced clubs start to show interest in their players.
The manager lost last season's top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic to Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal last month, and the final days of the transfer window were dominated by Bayern Munich's pursuit of midfielder Joao Palhinha.
The Bundesliga champions' move for the 28-year-old collapsed on Friday afternoon, owing to Fulham's determination not to lose the player so late in the window despite a significant offer from Bayern.