Football

Joao Cancelo reveals ‘the truth’ behind Bayern Munich move

February 1, 2023 10:12 am
Joao Cancelo reveals ‘the truth’ behind Bayern Munich move

Joao Cancelo has revealed ‘the truth’ behind his shock transfer to Bayern Munich, with the full-back leaving Manchester City on loan for the German giants.

The Portugal international is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in world football, but he had fallen out of favour at City after the 2022 World Cup.

Youngster Rico Lewis is now seemingly the club’s first-choice option at right-back, with Nathan Ake playing regularly at left-back. Cancelo is contracted to City until June 2027, but will spend the remainder of the campaign playing for the Bundesliga outfit.

Cancelo reveals ‘the truth’ about City exit

Many reports claimed that Cancelo had a row with manager Pep Guardiola, but the full-back has now revealed the truth about his current situation.

While the defender has not ruled out returning to his parent club in the summer, he noted that all of his focus is now on shining at Bayern.

“There was a lot of speculation about my relationship with Pep Guardiola,” said Cancelo, as per LiveScore. “But the truth is that I just wanted to get more playing minutes. And I see that opportunity at Bayern.

“It might have sounded like a farewell [a video he posted on Instagram], but it wasn’t meant this way, and we will have to see what these five months in Munich bring. My contract is until the end of the season and I want to focus on my goals and those of the club.

“Then we’ll sit down and see what’s next. I’ve had a great time at Manchester City. I’m still under contract with City too, but now Bayern is my priority.”

Cancelo

Cancelo did not consult Guardiola about move

Cancelo has been one of City’s top-performing players at both ends of the pitch, with his abilities particularly on show in the final third as the defender both scored and assisted many of his club’s goals in recent seasons.

He started the current Premier League campaign as City’s first-choice left-back, also showing his versatility with his fine displays at right-back in the Champions League group stages.

But after more than 150 games for the Manchester side, the Portugal star has been shipped out temporarily to Bayern, with the defender revealing that he did not consult his current boss about the prospect of joining the Bundesliga outfit.

“I wasn’t talking to Pep about Bayern as everything went too fast,” said Cancelo. “I wanted to make the best decision for my career and I think I did just that joining this wonderful club.”

The 28-year-old will now add the Bundesliga to his long list of leagues, having played in the Premier League with City, Serie A with Juventus and Inter Milan, La Liga with Valencia, and the Primeira Liga with Benfica.

He joins Bayern at a somewhat difficult time for the club, who have drawn their last three league games to see their lead at the top of the table drop to just one point.

They have 37 points from their 18 games, with high-flying Union Berlin currently on 36 points, RB Leipzig on 35 points, and both Borussia Dortmund and SC Freiburg on 34 points.

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