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Porto president André Villas-Boas issued what he called a "reality check," firmly dismissing speculation surrounding a possible move for Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski.
The newly crowned Portuguese champions are among a number of clubs linked with the prolific Polish forward as he edges closer to becoming a free agent at the end of June. However, Villas-Boas quickly shut down that line of speculation when pressed on the matter.
"Obviously, as you can imagine, the financial demands of a player of that stature are well beyond FC Porto's capabilities," the president told reporters. "That is the first thing that seems obvious to me."
Part of Porto's appeal stemmed from the growing Polish contingent at the Portuguese club. "We have three Polish players in our squad, which is our biggest draw right now," Villas-Boas acknowledged, "but a player like Lewandowski is entirely out of FC Porto's financial reach."
With no new contract offer from Barcelona anywhere in sight, Lewandowski will need to seek his next chapter outside of Spain. All indications are pointing toward the other side of the Atlantic.
'Fully Convinced'—MLS Dealt Huge Blow in Lewandowski Chase
Porto never entered the running for Lewandowski given the financial burden of signing one of La Liga's highest-paid players. No such limitations exist for clubs in the Saudi Pro League, which is reportedly "fully convinced" of landing the veteran striker.
Al Hilal are said to have tabled a "staggering offer" that would vastly surpass the $23.4 million (€20 million) annual salary reportedly proposed by MLS side Chicago Fire, according to SPORT. A second unnamed Saudi club is also believed to be in pursuit, and while no agreements have been reached, there is growing confidence that Lewandowski will head east rather than west this summer.
The 37-year-old is expected to hold off until all offers are on the table before making his decision. Beyond finances, the quality of life for his family is understood to be a top priority. The report notes that Saudi Arabia is considerably closer to Europe than Chicago and carries a far smaller time zone difference.
Lewandowski recently acknowledged that he would be open to "moving to a lesser league," which many interpreted as a hint toward MLS. Chicago Fire have been transparent about their pursuit of the iconic goalscorer, but Lewandowski may well have been referring to the Saudi top flight instead (even if Cristiano Ronaldo would strongly contest that characterization).