Joao Cancelo's time at Manchester City has been nothing short of a soap opera, before Pep Guardiola called for his departure in the January window.
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Strained relationship between Cancelo and GuardiolaBook reveals the straining of the relation Cancelo asked to leave in 2019Getty WHAT HAPPENED?
In an updated version of the book, the writers revealed the turmoil in the relationship between the Portuguese full-back and the Manchester City top brass. The book revealed that Cancelo had threatened to leave the club in 2019 after having just joined the club as he lost his place in the starting lineup to Kyle Walker.
When the pandemic struck in 2020, Juanma Lillo, the assistant manager, was put in charge of trying to convince Cancelo that it was in both his and the team's best interests to put in the effort to raise his game and gain a spot on the squad. At the time, a number of players were sidelined due to injuries, so Pep agreed to give him a go at left-back at Lillo's urging. It was successful, as Cancelo excelled in his new position for two seasons, ranking among the top wing-backs in Europe.
In 2022, however, the relationship turned sour yet again after Cancelo's form hit peaks and troughs at random, causing Guardiola to drop the full-back. The relationship was severed fully when the Catalan dropped Cancelo in the fourth round of the FA Cup against Arsenal. A sullen Cancelo was visibly disengaged throughout Pep’s tactical talk which seemed to be the last straw for Pep who talked to Man City's director of football, Txiki Begiristain and CEO Ferran Soriano as a call to get rid of the Portuguese.
AdvertisementWHAT GUARDIOLA SAID
Talking to Soriano and Begiristain, the Catalan coach said: “For the good of the team, Joao [Cancelo] better be gone by the time the winter market is closed.”
Soriano talking to the writers, said: “It’s all about making the right decisions for the team as a whole. We came to this club determined to make good decisions and create a team with the right values and the right character. We had to maintain those standards.”
GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Cancelo left the club on loan in January of 2023, as he made a move to Bayern Munich helping them make a comeback and win the Bundesliga over Borussia Dortmund. His performances were good enough to warrant interest from La Liga champions, FC Barcelona, who were only able to sign the full-back on loan in the summer of 2023 due to their financial situation.
(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CANCELO?
The 29-year-old has had a successful start to his stint at the Catalan club and is looking to complete a full move to Catalonia in 2024, should the club reach an agreement with City.
