Bayern Munich will need to reach a compromise with Manchester City in order to sign Joao Cancelo permanently.
Sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has suggested that the €70million (£62.1m) fee included in the Portuguese right-back's loan deal will be "difficult" for the German giants, who swooped for Cancelo on transfer deadline day. The 28-year-old defender left City after an alleged falling out with boss Pep Guardiola over a lack of game-time.
Making his debut for Bayern a day after signing, Cancelo registered an assist inside 18 minutes and managed another one in his second appearance on Sunday. Despite the Bavarians' infatuation with the former Juventus star, having targeted him for "more than four years," the club aren't wholly confident of securing his services on a permanent basis come the summer.
Speaking to German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, via Goal, Salihamidzic explained: "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.
"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 has also left the door open to a return to Manchester, dismissing suggestions of a rift with Guardiola at his unveiling press conference in Munich. "I've not had much game time in the past few weeks, which influenced my decision. There was speculation that my relationship with Pep was not the best but fact is I wanted to play more," the ex- Valencia and Inter Milan ace declared.
"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."
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Meanwhile, Guardiola isn't ruling out a reunion either, with Cancelo still having a contract at the Etihad Stadium which runs until 2027. "Now he's there. We'll see what happens at the end of the season," the City manager acknowledged, via the Manchester Evening News. "At the end of the season we talk many many things about many, many players."
Like Bayern, Real Madrid are long-time admirers of Cancelo but turned down the chance to sign him in January. Despite having him on their transfer shortlist, Marca report that Real chiefs felt they had enough depth in the right-back position until the end of this season.
Cancelo's agent is said to have contacted the Spanish champions in the hope of sealing a move to Madrid, but Real weren't interested. Given the latest word from Bayern, however, a summer switch to the Santiago Bernabeu isn't out of the question.
