RB Leipzig want to sign Manchester City defender Angelino on a permanent deal but his future could depend on how the coronavirus pandemic affects football finances.
The Spaniard joined Leipzig on loan in January in a deal that includes an option to buy for €30m (£25m).
But the Bundesliga club, who also have Chelsea defender Ethan Ampadu and Roma forward Patrik Schick on loan, hope to open negotiations with a view to getting him for around half the cost of the initial agreement.
The Covid-19 pandemic is set to have a serious impact on the valuations of players, with Angelino likely to be available for less despite making a big impression during his short time in Germany.
Angelino has played five Bundesliga matches and helped Julian Nagelsmann's side to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
It is also understood that he has surprised first-team coaches with how quickly he has settled into the squad and adapted to learning new tactics.
The 23-year-old was straight back into the starting line-up for Saturday’s draw with Freiburg as German football restarted and matches were staged without supporters present.
And he has hinted that he would be open to a permanent move, praising the impact of Leipzig’s highly-rated coach Nagelsmann.
"I mean... for me as a player the biggest thing for me is a coach that gives me confidence, so I'll leave it there," he told Eurosport when asked where his future lies.
"Since the first day Julian has given me a lot, I'm very grateful to him, the staff and mostly the club. They gave me this chance in January and I wanted to go somewhere and play and enjoy football again and thanks to this club I did it so I'm very grateful.
"I want to play, hopefully I'll be stable soon. I'm very happy at the moment and I try to enjoy my full time, we will see."
But the defender has not completely ruled out having a future at the Etihad Stadium despite failing to regularly force his way into Pep Guardiola’s side during a difficult first half of the season.
Leipzig were set for a summer of upheaval with Timo Werner among those likely to leave but many moves have been thrown into doubt amid the financial implications of the coronavirus.
While Ampadu will return to Stamford Bridge, the German club still want to get deals done for their other loanees.
"For Schick and Angelino we want to find a solution," Sporting director Markus Krosche told Bild. "We won't be able to pay the sums in the contracts."
City re-signed Angelino from PSV Eindhoven for €6m in the summer when they triggered a buy-back clause after an impressive season that saw him contribute 10 assists for the Dutch club.
The left-back position has been one of Guardiola’s few problems with Benjamin Mendy fighting his way back to his best form after a serious knee injury and midfielders Fabian Delph and Oleksandr Zinchenko filling in as emergency cover.
Angelino, who first signed for City in 2012 but has spent much of his time away from the club with loan spells at New York City, Girona, Real Mallorca and NAC Breda, returned as an extra option.
But he had a poor pre-season and didn’t make his first Premier League start until November, with him being a surprise starter in the defeats to Liverpool and at home to Manchester United that were major dents in City’s hopes of winning a third successive title.
With Mendy’s injury problems becoming less of an issue and Zinchenko seen as reliable alternative, Angelino was the odd man out and was allowed to leave in the transfer window.
Guardiola has been complimentary about his compatriot saying in January before his departure: "In the final third in the box he is one of the most clever guys we have in the squad."
However, there are concerns about his defensive capabilities in a season where City have already conceded more goals than in the previous two campaigns.
