Jorge Jesus has dismissed suggestions that Sporting are preparing a move for Robin van Persie, insisting there is no way the Portuguese side could afford him.
Van Persie has been linked with a move away from Fenerbahce after just one season, with Sporting believed to be among his potential destinations.
Nevertheless, the Lisbon side's coach made it clear the 32-year-old is not a realistic transfer target, stating his wage demands make it an impossibility.
"Van Persie is a player who interests a lot of clubs. He is a great player," Jesus told SportTV.
"But if we are talking about great players, Messi is a great player as well...
"If you knew how much someone like Van Persie earns per season. It's madness. It's impossible to even dream of it for most teams in the world.
"But in Turkey it's possible. I would love to have Van Persie in my squad, but we would have to sell our stadium in order to be able to afford him. We would have to sell everything.
"And we do need a place to play our home games..."
Van Persie has a contract with Fenerbahce until June 2018.
- Goal