Manchester United have been told that they can sign Marcel Sabitzer from Bayern Munich for just €15m (£12.8m) this summer.
The Red Devils confirmed on Friday that the Austrian midfielder has returned to his parent club following the end of a productive loan spell during the season half of last season. Sabitzer, 28, scored three goals in 18 appearances after joining United in January, helping Erik ten Hag's side end their six-year trophy drought by winning the League Cup and later reach the FA Cup final.
The former RB Leipzig captain suffered a season-ending knee injury in early May and headed back to Munich, but now the Red Devils have a chance to book his return flight on the cheap - after their official website already started selling new 2023-24 home shirts with his name on. According to a report from German outlet BILD, Bayern are willing to offload Sabitzer to United in a cut-price deal, despite him having two more years left on his contract.
Manager Thomas Tuchel doesn't view the Austria international as part of his long-term plans and is happy to sell him. Although Sabitzer didn't pull up any trees while at Old Trafford, he enjoyed his time in Manchester and left the door open to a permanent stay shortly before his injury.
"With the trust I get from Erik ten Hag, it's very positive," the 28-year-old explained in an interview with BILD. "I found my place here. Now I know the Premier League and can say there's nothing better. Every game is a fight. It's the best league in the world. When you play once here you know it's incomparable.
Sabitzer added when quizzed on his future: "United made it clear that it was a project until the summer. Then we'll see. Until then, I want to give everything here. It's a loan deal without an option. In the summer, the situation will be evaluated. It's very positive. But I'm not the only one who decides."
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With game-time limited once team-mate Christian Eriksen returned to the team following three months on the sidelines, the ex-Leipzig star also noted: "There's competition at every top club. At United, it's even more extreme than in Munich. Here there's [Scott] McTominay, Eriksen, Casemiro, Fred and me. If I was afraid of competition, I wouldn't have joined either Bayern or United."
Ten Hag appreciates Sabitzer's qualities and hasn't ruled out a move which would see the Austrian become part of his squad for good. "He's doing fantastic," the Red Devils boss declared in April. "He's adjusted well to Man United and the Premier League. He is a great person and suits the dressing room well. He's an intelligent player and we're happy with his role at this moment."
There certainly seems to be more chance of Sabitzer returning to Old Trafford than another man who joined on loan in January, Wout Weghorst. The Dutch striker, 30, only scored two goals as he attempted to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo, who had a high-profiling falling out with Ten Hag.
Weghorst is due to return to Burnley next term for pre-season training, having spent the first half of last term with Turkish giants Besiktas. The Netherlands international, like Sabitzer, echoed his desire to stay at United mid-season but it's becoming more clear that only one of them stands a good chance of getting what they want.
