With less than a day left until the close of the winter transfer window, several big name clubs are still vying to make moves.
In somewhat of a stunning turn of events, The Athletic’s David Ornstein broke the news that Manchester City fullback Joao Cancelo is set to leave the club and join Bayern Munich on loan. Included in the deal is a purchase option worth €70 million.
🚨 Joao Cancelo has landed in Munich to undergo medical, sign contract + complete shock transfer from Manchester City to Bayern Munich. Clubs have agreed loan deal with purchase option set at €70m for 28yo Portugal full-back @TheAthleticFC #MCFC #FCBayern https://t.co/JyM32rNz5d
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) January 30, 2023
Cancelo had been an important player for Pep Guardiola and has been an undisputed starter for most of his tenure since he arrived from Juventus back in 2019. He recently penned a new five-year deal back in early 2022.
What’s changed since then?
Cancelo has reportedly fallen out of favor with Guardiola over his lack of playing time and has been labeled “disruptive” to the locker. The Portuguese fullback hasn’t hidden his discontent with his decline in minutes.
That is a stark contrast to what Txiki Begiristain said about Cancelo back when he signed his new contract in February.
“Joao is the ultimate professional. He absolutely loves football and applies himself every single day to become better,” Begiristain said.
While it’ll take time to see how his absence may hurt City, it’s a very different scenario over at Bayern Munich.
The German giants were dealt a significant blow when they lost Lucas Hernandez to an injury at the World Cup. They did sign Daley Blind who can play at left-back but getting Cancelo is a significant upgrade.
There are question marks when it comes to Cancelo’s defending but he can play both on the left and right, giving Bayern Munich some flexibility there. There is also significant offensive potential if they were to deploy Cancelo and Alphonso Davies at the same time.
On paper, it’s a deal that works for both sides. Again, Bayern acquire someone who can come in and automatically start and Manchester City move on from a player who Guardiola no longer wanted.