The Italian doctor who says he plans to transplant a man’s head onto a donor’s body has admitted the goal of the procedure is to confer immortality — fueling concerns that the claim is little more than a publicity stunt, The Independent reports.

Surgeon Sergio Canavero needs $15 million to carry out the surgery, he says. While that's a lot, he compared the money to that paid to footballers.

"I need $15 million,” he told Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda. “It's the price for happiness and health for a lot of people."

He also he has been contacted by super-rich people who were looking to use the surgery to prolong their lives, admitting that the aim of the surgery is to allow people to become immortal. He added that he has no problem with objections from churches and others.

Dr. Canavero’s comments come as Internet-driven theories circulate that the entire story could be a marketing stunt. Internet users have note similarities between the surgeon and a character from the game Metal Gear Solid 5.

Dr. Canavero said that he will explain the procedure in depth at a neurosurgeons' conference in June.

"I'll prove it is totally possible to all the skeptics there," he told Mail Online.