Real Madrid president Florentino Perez questioned if the European champions had room for Kylian Mbappe, asking who the teenager would replace.
Madrid are heavily linked with a move for the 18-year-old forward, who scored 26 goals in all competitions during a brilliant 2016-17 season.
Stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema have all been linked with exits from the LaLiga champions.
Perez compared the situation to Paul Pogba last off-season, with the midfielder eventually joining Manchester United, as he questioned where Mbappe would fit at the Santiago Bernabeu.
"We cannot forget what happened to Pogba. They also said we had to sign him," he told esRadio on Tuesday.
"But we can't forget that the squad has 24 players and only 11 play. At this moment, we have the best squad in the world."
He added: "[Zinedine] Zidane has been following the player for several years, as he did with [Raphael] Varane.
"But at the age of 18, few play for Real Madrid. We must have patience. If we buy Mbappe, who comes out?"
A four-time France international, Mbappe is linked with numerous clubs, including United, Arsenal and Liverpool.
