Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has suggested it would be “unfeasible” to sign Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal.
The Bundesliga champions have been heavily linked with a bid for the Chile international, who has just one year left to run on his contract in north London.
Manchester City are also widely reported to be at the front of the race for his signature, with the UK media suggesting that Pep Guardiola would be willing to sanction a transfer fee in excess of £50-million and wages of more than £350,000 a week to land the former Barcelona man.
Hoeness says he is in the dark when it comes to the finer details of Bayern’s transfer plans but he has admitted that they are unlikely to match such exorbitant wage demands.
“I’m not in the operational side. [Chairman] Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has not yet come to me, so the matter doesn’t seem to be too urgent with him,” he said, as quoted by Kicker.
“A €20m salary is probably not feasible.”
Bayern appear unlikely to spend heavily on another forward unless Douglas Costa is sold in the transfer window.
Juventus have been tipped to sign the Brazil international but Hoeness says he will not be allowed to leave unless their asking price – reportedly €50m – is met.
“As long as he has not signed anywhere else, he’ll return, and if the signing does not happen then he will start the season on August 18,” said Hoeness.
“When a club comes and pays the sum that Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has asked for, he will leave. We paid a lot of money so we want to get more.”
Hoeness also refused to offer any guarantees over the future of Renato Sanches, who struggled to settle in his first season in Germany following his move from Benfica.
“It’s a difficult question because Carlo Ancelotti is also under pressure to be successful. In the end, the player must be good enough,” he said.
“He finished the European Championship last year, failed to prepare well and was injured for quite a long time.”
Lastly, Hoeness hinted that Bayern could launch another attempt to sign Leon Goretzka from Schalke in the wake of his fine performances for Germany at the Confederations Cup.
“You can understand that I won’t say anything about it, but Leon Goretzka has left a huge impression at this event in Russia. Everyone has seen his football,” he said.
“If Carlo Ancelotti has said that the club has the option to be active again in the transfer market, then that is right, but the squad is already good enough. Both options are possible.”