Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez almost joined Paris Saint-Germain before wage demands became a stumbling block.
Tevez expressed his desire to leave the English Premier League champions after a disagreement with manager Roberto Mancini during the Champions League game against Bayern Munich last season.
And PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi was ready to secure a deal for the player in January, but wages proved too much, despite the French Ligue 1 side splashing out on AC Milan duo Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
“If the transfer was not sorted out, it was not because he didn’t want to come, but because we didn’t accept his wage demands,” Al-Khelaifi told Sport-Bild.
“He wanted to come. We don’t pay too big wages to our players. Last winter Carlos Tevez asked too much and didn’t match the club’s philosophy. So we refused.”
Meanwhile, Al-Khelaifi has defended the amount the club has spent on wages.
Bayern Munich chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said the wages being paid to Ibrahimovic gave him a ‘stomach ache’.
“If Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is sick with the wages we offer, he should go and meet a doctor,” Al-Khelaifi said.
“We take big care of our expenses.
“For example, Thiago Silva does not earn one more cent than what he earned at AC Milan. To me, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the best forward in the world.”