Aberdeen boss Craig Brown insists he wants to hold onto defender Kari Arnason but has made it clear the club cannot spend too much on him.
The 29-year old Swedish-born Iceland international comes out of contract in the summer and Brown is looking to keep him at Pittodrie Stadium although he is well aware he cannot offer a deal that will hamper their current wage structure.
"We will give him the best deal we can but that is all we can do. We don't want to distort the wage bill because it is not a one-man club.
"Arnason has been offered a deal but it is not formal. That will come after his agent has further talks with the chief executive.""We want to keep Arnason but cannot be held to ransom," said Brown.