Bayern set condition to sign Joao Cancelo permanently

Joao Cancelo’s long-term future remains up in the air, with Bayern Munich weighing up on whether or not to sign the defender permanently.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the German champions would be willing to make Cancelo’s loan move permanent but have set a condition for any potential deal.

Cancelo joined the Bundesliga giants from Manchester City during the January transfer window with a €70 million option to buy at the end of the season.

The Portugal international defender hit the ground running at the Allianz Arena, delivering two assists in his first four games.

However, he has since fallen behind Benjamin Pavard and Josip Stanisic in the pecking order since Julian Nagelsmann opted to switch his tactical approach from a back four to a back three.

Cancelo, who is adept at playing on either side of the defence is also behind Alphonso Davies and Kingsley Coman, who Nagelsmann prefers in the wing-back roles.

The 28-year-old has started four of his six Bundesliga games, returning to the starting line-up in the 5-3 win over Augsburg two weeks ago.

After proving his class with a goal and an assist, Cancelo kept his place against Bayer Leverkusen, putting in a strong shift despite his side being on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline.

Cancelo has enjoyed a reasonably successful loan spell and the German champions have since shifted their stance on the defender’s future.

While they are now open to keeping him beyond this summer, the club will only sanction the deal if City agree to a lower price than the buy-out clause.

They consider the initial price tag too high, but City are unlikely to sell for a lower fee considering the player is attracting interest from other European heavyweights.

Spanish giants Barcelona were initially interested in taking Cancelo on a loan deal next summer.

But they have since shelved their interest in the player due to financial constraints after meeting with Jorge Mendes.

Chelsea and Real Madrid have also been touted as possible destinations for the former Juventus man, with Los Blancos looking to provide competition for stalwart Daniel Carvajal.