Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has conceded that it will be "difficult" for the German champions to sign Joao Cancelo on a permanent basis from Manchester City this summer.
The Portuguese full-back made a surprise loan move to the Allianz Arena late in the January transfer window, having recently fallen out of favour under Pep Guardiola.
Cancelo has made a positive start to life under Julian Nagelsmann, setting up two goals in two games versus Mainz 05 and Wolfsburg in the DFB-Pokal and Bundesliga respectively.
The 28-year-old's loan deal with Bayern runs until the end of the season, but the Bavarians possess the option to make his move permanent for a fee of €70m (£62.7m) this summer.
Bayern will likely wave goodbye to Benjamin Pavard in a few months' time amid links with Barcelona, while Noussair Mazraoui has been out with pericarditis following a bout of coronavirus.
© Reuters
Despite their likely need to sign a new full-back for the 2023-24 campaign, Salihamidzic has admitted that Bayern could struggle to stump up the money, even though they have admired Cancelo for several years.
"After the transfer was done, we actually thought again about how long we've been dealing with Joao. We came up with more than four years. Either our position was filled or we didn't have the money for it," Salihamidzic told Bild.
"We're playing with open cards. This sum is difficult for us to imagine in the next few years. If all sides really want a common solution, you can manage that in the end. He knows that he has been one of our dream players for years."
Cancelo fell below 18-year-old Rico Lewis in the Man City pecking order this season, amid suggestions that the former Juventus man's relationship with manager Guardiola had become strained.
However, the 28-year-old denied that he experienced a rift with the manager upon his arrival in Germany, saying at his first press conference: "I've not had much game time in the past few weeks, which influenced my decision.
© Reuters
"There was speculation that my relationship with Pep was not the best, but the fact is I wanted to play more. I really wanted to embark on this new adventure at such a club with such a big history.
"It's a dream for me. I'm very happy to be here and to show my footballing qualities. I know that this club, this team, lives for titles and wins titles every year. I'm also driven by the hunger for success."
Cancelo - who is still contracted to Man City until 2027 - initially found the adaptation to English football difficult after joining from Juve in 2019, but he has shone in recent seasons under Guardiola.
Operating largely in a versatile left-back role, Cancelo has produced nine goals and 22 assists in 154 games for the Premier League champions, winning two top-flight titles in the process.
Cancelo had started 16 Premier League games in the first half of the 2022-23 season, but he was an unused substitute in wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers before his shock exit.
Ben Knapton
