AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi has ruled out signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic this summer because he is too expensive, although he is nevertheless confident new funds will be made available to the club by Chinese investors negotiating a takeover.
Ibrahimovic has yet to reveal his plans for next season and his former club Milan are reported to be one of his potential destinations.
Berlusconi, who hopes to complete the sale of the Rossoneri within the next fortnight, would welcome a return by the Swede, who was part of the last Milan side to win Serie A, but he admitted in an interview with Mediaset television that such players are unaffordable.
"You would need Monopoly money to buy him, so it's impossible," he said.
A significant amount of money could nevertheless be coming Berlusconi's way, with the potential investors looking to buy his majority holding in the club now heading into the final few weeks of their period of exclusivity for negotiations.
"It's going to be a big fortnight," Berlusconi added. "We're going to need to pay attention and have patience and not let ourselves be rushed into anything.
"We're hoping to find a suitable solution for what I want, which is for Milan to be protagonists in Italy, Europe and the world.
"We're negotiating with these big Chinese companies and it's important they can give me guarantees that the club will get even bigger."
Even if Berlusconi does sell the club -- which he has owned for the past three decades -- that does not necessarily mean he will no longer have a say in how they are run.
"The Chinese want me to remain as president for another three years and I've given my approval," said the 79-year-old.
"We're working on this and if we reach an agreement, my last act after over 30 years at the helm will be to find my successor. Even as honorary president I can influence choices and decisions."