Inter could not afford to spend €40million on Arturo Vidal in January, sporting director Piero Ausilio has warned.
The Bayern Munich midfielder was linked with a move to San Siro during the last transfer window but ultimately stayed with the Bundesliga champions.
But the 30-year-old has only made five starts in the league this season and two in the Champions League, prompting rumours he could leave the club at the beginning of 2018.
However, Ausilio does not expect Inter to be able to sign him unless they free up funds first.
"It's not fair to deceive the fans. We can't make any signings that are not financially supported by some outgoings," he told Tuttosport.
"We can't go into the market and spend €30m to €40m: this is true for everybody, not just for Vidal."
Ausilio also expressed his confidence when it comes to keeping captain Mauro Icardi at the club.
The Argentina striker has scored 11 goals in as many games in Serie A in a blistering start to the season and has recently been linked with Real Madrid.
The 24-year-old signed a new contract in October that – according to his agent – contains a €110m release clause, but Ausilio is not worried about a possible exit.
"We're not afraid of losing him. We're happy with him and he is with us," he said.
"If Icardi wanted to leave or we wanted to sell, even if his clause was €150m, it wouldn't change much."
