Diego Costa is available on a free transfer for £46,000 a week, according to reports.
The ex-Chelsea hero is without a club after leaving Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro last month.
Costa, 33, was reportedly offered to Bundesliga club Mainz on a deal worth a fraction of what he would have earned at Stamford Bridge.
According to Bild, a consultant touted the striker's services to the mid-table German side by messaging one of their scouts on WhatsApp.
They add that Costa wanted an 18-month deal worth around £46k a week.
The scout didn't take the offer seriously, however.
So much was his scepticism over the offer, that he didn't even flag it to the club's sporting director Martin Schmidt.
When told about the exchange by Bild, Schmidt found it funny.
