Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has refused to confirm whether his side will pay the €70 million buy option to sign Arsenal target Joao Cancelo from Manchester City this summer.
Cancelo made the surprise temporary switch to Munich in January after falling out of favour under Pep Guardiola following the resumption of the season in December. That said, the Portugal international has not found it easy at Bayern either, finding himself in and out of the side, particularly early on.
As such, that has prompted other clubs to enter the mix for his signature, with Arsenal having been heavily linked during the week, and also Barcelona keeping an eye on the situation, too. Salihamidzic was asked about the potential of signing Cancelo permanently after he provided an assist in a 6-0 win over Schalke on Saturday, but says it is a decision they have not yet made.
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He told Abendzeitung: "Cancelo is a top player, technically a pleasure for the eyes. We're glad we have him. "€70m buy option? We haven't decided anything yet. We'll do that after the end of the season."
It is not the first time Salihamidzic has been questioned on Cancelo's long-term Bayern future, as just over a week after his arrival he hinted that the £61 million permanent fee would be too much for the German champions. That could open the door for Arsenal to make a move this summer as they seek to strengthen their full-back options.
Via Bild, he added: "We play with open cards. The most important thing is that João feels comfortable in Munich and can perform in the second round.
"But we also told him clearly that this sum is difficult for us to imagine in the next few years."
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