Santos vice-president Odilio Rodrigues has stressed that the Brazilian side can not pay over the odds to prise Robinho from AC Milan.
The 29-year-old is believed to be keen on returning to his boyhood club, who claim that the Rossoneri's demands are too high.
"We know we want him, but it's up to the board to evaluate if it's financially feasible," Rodrigues told Globo Esporte.
"We can't evaluate the deal piece by piece, we have to evaluate the full cost of the operation."
Robinho was marginalised at the San Siro last season, starting just 11 times in Serie A.