João Cancelo, despite not having played for Manchester City since January 2023 due to a falling out with manager Pep Guardiola, remains under contract with the club until 2027. After his departure from City, he spent the second half of the 2022-23 season on loan at Bayern Munich and later continued his loan spell at Barcelona. Since returning from his assignments in Portugal, Cancelo has been training with his former Manchester City teammates.
Guardiola addressed Cancelo’s situation in a press conference, saying, “He is training with us. We will see; maybe he will stay, maybe he will go on loan. At the moment, I don’t know.
He is working with us and performing very well in training. Football is his passion. We will see what happens.” When asked specifically about the possibility of Cancelo remaining at City for the season, Guardiola acknowledged that it was a possibility, stating, “It might happen, sure.”
Cancelo was one of Manchester City’s standout players during their Premier League title-winning campaigns in 2020-21 and 2021-22. However, his relationship with Guardiola deteriorated after he was dropped from the starting lineup following the World Cup.
Reports suggest that tensions between the two escalated when Cancelo, during one of Guardiola’s pre-match squad meetings, put on headphones and began listening to music, an act that was seen as disrespectful by the manager.
Shortly afterward, Guardiola reportedly informed the club’s sporting director, Txiki Begiristain, that Cancelo needed to be moved on by the end of the transfer window for the sake of the team’s harmony.
As of now, Cancelo’s future at Manchester City remains uncertain, with possibilities ranging from staying with the squad to being sent out on another loan.
His performance in training and his passion for football have been noted, but whether this will be enough to mend the relationship with Guardiola and secure his place in the team for the upcoming season is yet to be determined.
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