Brazilian club Santos have been offered Florent Malouda but are "scared" of the Chelsea winger's wage demands, according to their head coach Muricy Ramalho.
Malouda has a year left to run on his contract at Stamford Bridge but did not play as regularly as he would have liked last season and faces increased competition for a starting spot this term following the signings of Marko Marin and Eden Hazard.
Reports have suggested that the Blues could be ready to let the Frenchman go, and Santos vice-president Odilio Rodrigues stated earlier this week that informal talks had been held.
Ramalho admits that he is an admirer of the 32-year-old, but doubts whether a deal will be finalised due to financial issues.
"Malouda was offered to us," Ramalho told reporters. "He is a very interesting player, but you get scared when they tell you their demands.
"They say they are in crisis in Europe, but they spend so much money on transfers there. He was offered to us, but when you think about his wages, it gets hard.
"He is a very good player, an old-school midfielder who can hold the ball and set the tone in attack."
