AC Milan have rejected Paris St-Germain's world record fee for a defender for Brazilian Thiago Silva.
The Qatari-owned French club made a bid of almost €46m (£37.5m) for the 27-year-old, but Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi said the Serie A side had "no intention" of selling the international.
Rio Ferdinand's £29.1m transfer to Manchester United from Leeds United in 2002 remains a world record fee for a defender.
The Qatar Investment Authority bought a 70 per cent stake in PSG last year and continue to back coach Carlo Ancelotti, who won the Champions League twice with Milan.
Should Thiago eventually make the move, he will dwarf the following top 10...
World's most expensive defenders
(01 of10)
Open Image ModalRio Ferdinand £29.1m (Leeds United to Manchester United, 2002)
(02 of10)
Open Image ModalFabio Coentrao £27m (Benfica to Real Madrid, 2011)
(03 of10)
Open Image ModalPepe £25m (Porto to Real Madrid, 2007)
(04 of10)
Open Image ModalDaniel Alves £23.5m (Sevilla to Barcelona, 2008)
(05 of10)
Open Image ModalDmytro Chygrynskiy £22.5m (Shakhtar Donetsk to Barcelona, 2009)
(06 of10)
Open Image ModalJoleon Lescott £22m (Everton to Manchester City, 2009)
(07 of10)
Open Image ModalLilian Thuram £22m (Parma to Juventus, 2001)
(08 of10)
Open Image ModalDavid Luiz £21.3 (Benfica to Chelsea, 2011)
(09 of10)
Open Image ModalAlessandro Nesta £21m (Lazio to AC Milan, 2002)
(10 of10)
Open Image ModalRicardo Carvalho £20m (Porto to Chelsea, 2004)