Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has reiterated his desire to keep on-loan Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor at White Hart Lane, but admitted wages remained a stumbling block.
The Togo international netted his 17th Barclays Premier League goal of the campaign on Sunday as Spurs beat Fulham 2-0 to secure fourth place.
Redknapp stressed his wish for Adebayor to stay after the game, but accepted finances may prove a problem.
"He was only a loan and his loan is up," the 65-year-old said. "It is up to the chairman if we could loan him again. I would like to keep him, obviously. He has done great for us.
"But I don't know. We don't pay them wages - the only way we could do a deal was if the chairman did a clever deal like he did this year for him."
Adebayor joined City from Tottenham's local rivals Arsenal in 2009 but soon fell out of favour after a promising start at the Etihad Stadium.
Despite still being registered to the new Premier League champions, Redknapp is sure Adebayor would be available.
"They don't want him. They don't want to see him ever again, if we are being honest," he said. "They want him out of the way and that is why they let him go."
Spurs' fourth-placed finish would normally guarantee a place in the Champions League qualifying play-off, but Chelsea will snatch that spot away from Spurs if they can beat Bayern Munich in the final of this year's competition on Saturday.
Although he faces an anxious wait over the club's European place, Redknapp hailed the campaign as a success.
He said: "We can't do any more - win [against Fulham] and finish fourth.
"At the start of the season we wanted fourth position and I couldn't be more pleased with what the players have done here this year and nor should anyone else.
"If people start getting carried away with what Tottenham should be doing they need a reality check."