Transfer hammer: FC Bayern lends defensive star Joao Cancelo from Manchester City – including a purchase option. That also means: Frenchman Benjamin Pavard probably has no more prospects and can leave the club.
There has rarely been such a spectacular winter transfer period at FC Bayern. After Daley Blind (Ajax Amsterdam) and Yann Sommer (Borussia Mönchengladbach), João Cancelo from Manchester City is the next internationally known and experienced player to come to Munich.
When the deal was announced earlier Monday afternoon via “Sky” and “The Athletic”, Cancelo was already on the plane. The 28-year-old Portuguese completed his medical check in Munich and could play in the DFB Cup game at Mainz 05 on Wednesday.
1. FSV Mainz 05 – Bayern Munich
01.02.2023 | 8:45 p.m
The Cancelo coup – a real hammer at this point in time. Although the defensive all-rounder didn’t play well in the World Cup, he was one of the best full-backs in the world in recent years.
Cancelo can defend on the right and left, in the city team of ex-Bayern coach Pep Guardiola he sometimes even acted as a second playmaker, hardly any professional in the English league hit crosses as precisely as Cancelo. Now he will bring these qualities to Bayern. Coach Julian Nagelsmann should be very happy…
Cancelo moved from Juventus Turin to Citizens in 2019 for an estimated 65 million euros – and became champions with the club in 2021 and 2022. Recently, however, it has hardly been used.
Cancelo will initially be loaned out until the end of the season, with Bayern reportedly having a purchase option of 70 million euros in the summer. Well negotiated by Bayern’s sports director Hasan Salihamidzic.
After the long-term absence of Lucas Hernández (cruciate ligament rupture), FC Bayern had a need on the defensive, and Moroccan Noussair Mazraoui will also be out for a few more weeks due to an inflammation of the pericardium.
“I’m fine, but I’m not allowed to do anything at the moment, no training. It can take three weeks, four, five or six weeks,” Mazraoui recently told the Abendzeitung. It is “not an ordinary injury, so you have to be very careful”.
At the weekend in the 1-1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt, Josip Stanisic was a right-back in the starting XI and did a good job. Bouna Sarr, who returned to team training on Monday, no longer plays a role. Benjamin Pavard, who is tied to Bayern until 2024, is also about to say goodbye.
Pavard had repeatedly complained about his role at Bayern in recent months. The Frenchman emphasized that he wants to play in central defence. “I won everything with Bayern Munich,” Pavard told the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, adding: “I play to win and I’m ready to evaluate new interesting projects, but as a central defender.”
FC Barcelona are said to be interested in Pavard, and Bayern would collect a fee for him in the summer. Which you could then invest in Cancelo…
His commitment is a clear win for the Nagelsmann team in terms of play – and at the same time a signal to the international competition.
By the way: Cancelo hasn’t won the Champions League in his career, that’s what drives him. Now he wants to realize this dream at FC Bayern.
This article was written by Maximilian Koch
The original of this post “Does Bayern’s Benjamin Pavard have to go after the transfer?” comes from the evening newspaper.
