Sussex have ended their interest in signing England spinner James Tredwell.

Tredwell played five Championship matches for Sussex on loan last season – taking 12 wickets – after falling behind Adam Riley as first choice spinner at Kent.

Sussex had explored the possibility of bringing Tredwell to Hove on a permanent basis but Kent have made it clear they are unwilling to release the 32-year-old from the final year of his contract.

Sussex coach Mark Robinson said: “Tredwell is off our radar and has been for a while. He was always a Kent player so it is out of our control.”

Robinson has also confirmed that Sussex are unlikely to make any further signings this winter – with the exception of an overseas player for Twenty20 – following the arrival of Tymal Mills and Ajmal Shahzad.

That means Sussex will operate without a frontline spinner next season, although former England under-19 captain Azeem Rafiq has revealed he is due to have a trial at Hove during the winter – along with a number of other counties – following his release by Yorkshire.

Robinson added: “You never say never but I think that will be it apart from T20. If there had been another Tredwell or a domestic (Saeed) Ajmal knocking around it might have been different but there isn’t.”