Bayern Munich set to sign João Cancelo on loan – with option to leave Man City in permanent deal

Still valued at €70m 

Bayern Munich are set to conclude their January transfer window with the somewhat surprising signing of Manchester City full-back João Cancelo. According to the Athletic, the Bundesliga champions are set to sign the Portugal international on loan for the remainder of the season. The publication also claims that a buy option has been included in the deal, which would allow Bayern to sign the player permanently in the future. 

With a market value of €70 million, Cancelo remains one of Man City’s most valuable players and since his €65m move from Juventus in 2019 the 28-year-old defender has established himself as one of the best full-backs in the World. However, the Portugal star seems to have fallen down the pecking order in Pep Guardiola’s side, having started just three of the club’s last eight Premier League games. 

Should Cancelo complete a permanent move to Bayern in the next six months, he’ll surely leave the Premier League club as one of Man City’s most valuable departures. Leroy Sané still holds top spot in that regard, having also left the club for Bayern in 2020 with a market value of €80m and may fall below Raheem Sterling too, who left the club last summer for Chelsea with a market value of €70m. But Cancelo will surely come in third in the rankings, ahead of Gabriel Jesus, who departed for Arsenal with a value of €50m last year. 

The move will surely be celebrated by Bayern fans, who have been crying out for more defensive cover in the January window. Despite the arrival of central defender Daley Blind and goalkeeper Yann Sommer, Julian Nagelsmann’s side were still dangerously thin at right-back, following an injury to Noussair Mazraoui at the World Cup. As such, Cancelo will likely join the German club and slot in as their first-choice right back for now, as well as providing cover at left-back too.

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