Bayern Munich will "not make any expensive transfers" this summer, according to club president Herbert Hainer, amid rumours that the Bundesliga heavyweights could make a move for Inter star Achraf Hakimi.
The Bavarian side have been linked with a major-money move for the Morocco man, who has been in superb form this season for the Nerazzurri.
But as speculation grows - fanned by the player's agent this week - the club's president has now moved to shut down chatter on a swoop for Hakimi, or indeed any other expensive player.
What's been said?
"We will add to the squad, but not make any expensive transfers," Hainer told the Bayern Insider podcast. "We have an incredibly strong, young team with enormous potential. So I'm not worried. [I see] no need for further expensive transfers.
"[We want to] have the best squad. The reality is that you've also got to finance that too. It's no secret that Covid-19 hit hard.
"That affects our budget in revenue shortfalls. The transfer market will not be an easy task."
Hainer dampens Hakimi speculation
The 66-year-old's comments come in the wake of words from the Inter man's agent Alejandro Camano, who played down concrete links, while teasing that the lure of Bayern would be hard to resist for the newly-crowned Serie A champion.
"I don't know where those rumours come from," he stated. "But it wouldn't surprise me if FC Bayern were interested in Achraf. No one from FC Bayern has contacted me.
"Achraf is very happy at Inter. He doesn't think about anything else... But who wouldn't want to play for FC Bayern?"
The bigger picture
Bayern's signal that they will not look to splash the cash this summer could be both a blessing and a curse for their rivals, with it likely to mean one less opponent jostling for major talent across the board.
However, it also implies that the Bavarian giants will fight tooth and nail to prevent any unwanted exists from Allianz Arena over the coming months.
Likewise, though Hakimi appears to be settled at Inter following a historic campaign, there remains questions over whether other major European rivals may make a move for him even if Bayern do not.
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)