Manchester City propose incredible swap deal involving Joao Cancelo to sign Bayern Munich superstar: Reports
Manchester City have reportedly earmarked Joshua Kimmich as a long-term replacement for Ilkay Gundogan. And to convince Bayern Munich to sell the midfielder, they have proposed a swap deal that would see Joao Cancelo remain at the Allianz Arena.
Gundogan is in the final weeks of his Manchester City contract and has been linked with a move away from the club. He has been a key player for the Sky Blues since joining the club in 2016 in a deal worth £20 million.
He had made 301 appearances for them, scoring 58 goals and providing 40 assists. This season, he has scored nine goals and registered seven assists in 48 games across competitions.
The German international has won 12 trophies during his time at the Etihad, including five Premier League titles. He could add the UEFA Champions League and FA Cup titles to his trophy cabinet by the end of the 2022-23 season.
If Gundogan doesn't extend his contract with the Cityzens, Pep Guardiola sees Kimmich as the right player to replace him, according to The Mirror. With Bayern reluctant to sell the 28-year-old, the Premier League giants could use Cancelo to convince the Bundesliga giants to part with Kimmich.
Manchester City's Cancelo is currently on loan at Bayern, having joined them in January on a six-month loan deal. He has played 19 times for the Bavarians, scoring once and picking up six assists.
Incidentally, Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel recently expressed satisfaction with Cancelo's performances and did not rule out signing the full-back permanently.
Manchester City target Joshua Kimmich open to experiencing football culture outside Germany
If Bayern Munich decide to sell him, Joshua Kimmich is willing to join a club outside Germany as he is keen on playing football abroad.
Talking about the possibility of playing in a different league, he told So Foot:
"That would be an interesting challenge. I don't know what will happen in a few years, we'll see. I have a very good coach who is an advocate of attractive football. I have a lot of fun here, but somewhere in my head there is always this professional and personal challenge of one day reaching new horizons to discover."
Since joining Bayern in 2015, Kimmich has established himself as a regular starter for the team, helping them win 19 trophies so far, including seven Bundesliga titles.