Bayern Munich will allow Marcel Sabitzer to complete a permanent transfer to Manchester United this summer.
Sabitzer, 29, has impressed since joining the Red Devils in January, when he signed a temporary deal until the end of the season. The Austria international was brought in by Erik ten Hag on deadline day after Christian Eriksen suffered a serious ankle injury.
Although Danish star Eriksen is on the verge of making his comeback, Ten Hag needs depth in central midfield and could swoop for Sabitzer on a permanent basis. It is believed the loan star wants to commit his long-term future to the Premier League club.
As reported by German outlet SPORT1, Bayern will not stand in Sabitzer's way if he wants to sign a permanent deal with United. That being said, the Bundesliga champions still want to receive between €15million and €20m (£13.2m and £17.6m) for his services.
That would be a drop in the ocean for a player of Sabizter's quality. The midfielder has a wealth of experience after spells with Rapid Wien, RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg. He can provide cover and competition for the likes of Eriksen, Casemiro and Fred.
Bayern signed Sabitzer from Leipzig for around €16m (£14.1m) in August 2021. He's played 54 times for the German giants, but was Julian Nagelsmann's signing after starring under the German at Leipzig. Bayern replaced Nagelsmann with Thomas Tuchel last month.
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Sabitzer has 69 senior caps for Austria, who are ironically coached by former United boss Ralf Rangnick. Ten Hag's predecessor believes Sabitzer is flourishing at Old Trafford, with the player scoring a brace in his country's 4-1 win against Azerbaijan last month.
Rangnick told reporters after that game, "He [Sabitzer] has a lot more confidence than when he was at Bayern. Nobody dropped out in this game, but of course you can say that Sabi was the difference player after scoring two goals and preparing one."
Sabitzer is said to be keen on staying at United beyond the summer. He has already revealed his admiration for Ten Hag in an interview with the club's media team. "The manager does a lot of work," explained the Austrian.
"He is a hard worker, very structured and he’s helping us a lot with his game-plans, with training. He’s a very good coach, tactical, and, as a guy too, we are enjoying the fact that he is our manager and are looking forward to working together and bringing trophies."
Perhaps Sabitzer's future will become clearer between now and the summer. Eriksen is due to return from injury this month, although he will not be involved in the team's trip to Newcastle on Sunday afternoon. Sabitzer is expected to play against the Magpies.
If Sabizter drops behind Casemiro, who is currently serving a four-match domestic ban, and Eriksen in the pecking order, he may think twice about signing a permanent deal.
