Being kicked out of Man City, benched at Bayern Munich - how is the future for Cancelo?

Just over six months ago, Joao Cancelo was one of the most crucial players for Manchester City, with a long-term contract guaranteeing his future at Etihad until 2027. However, things have taken a turn since then.

After Pep Guardiola allowed Cancelo to go on loan to Bayern Munich on the last day of the January 2023 transfer window, it became clear that the Portuguese defender's time at Etihad was not secure.

Even at Bayern, Cancelo's future was called into question as former coach Julian Nagelsmann and new coach Thomas Tuchel repeatedly benched him in important matches. With a transfer value of around £62 million, Cancelo is a valuable asset, but his attitude prompted Guardiola to part ways with him, making it almost impossible for him to stay at City.

• Nagelsmann extends contract with Germany, won't return to Bayern Munich
• Pep Guardiola explains Man City's decision to sell Cole Palmer to Chelsea

So, what lies ahead for the Portuguese defender?

From an important player to the one being kicked out

Extended contract and forced Zinchenko to leave

Last season, Cancelo emerged as one of Manchester City's most influential players, featuring in 36 of City's 38 Premier League matches and directly contributing to eight goals (one goal and seven assists). Cancelo's outstanding performances led to Oleksandr Zinchenko's departure from City in search of regular playing opportunities.

Cancelo was an important player in Manchester Cỉty

This season, Cancelo started strongly, appearing in City's first 17 matches and continuing to create dangerous situations on the field, with two goals and four assists in the first 12 matches. However, as the World Cup approached, the Portuguese defender's form declined, and he was even sent off at halftime against Fulham, leaving City struggling to win 2-1 with 10 men.

Fall into disgrace after World Cup 2022

Cancelo's reduced game time after the World Cup. Cancelo struggled to secure a starting spot in the team. He only came on in the second half of a 3-1 win against Leeds and sat on the bench during the 1-1 draw against Everton at Etihad. Coach Guardiola opted to use Nathan Ake as the left-back instead of Cancelo.

Cancelo's reduced game time after the World Cup

Although Cancelo started at right-back in City's 1-0 win over Chelsea, he was substituted shortly after the match. He also only made a substitute appearance in the FA Cup match against Chelsea four days later. The 28-year-old defender then played the full 90 minutes in two consecutive games, but those were City's two worst games of the season. The first was the Carabao Cup defeat to Southampton, followed by a 1-2 loss to Manchester United.

Cancelo's last appearance for City before going on loan to Bayern Munich may have been the game against Manchester United, and it could be his final match in a City shirt.

A player with a temperamental personality

Before the transfer deal to Bayern was completed, Coach Guardiola did not directly criticize Cancelo, but hinted that the defender did not like being replaced.

Guardiola shared with the press, "After the World Cup ended, we had time to train different tactics. I liked what I saw and decided to spend more time on the players that I liked. Everyone has their own personality. Cancelo is a good player, but he has to be on the field to feel happy. So, we decided to agree for him to go to Munich. Cancelo wants to play in every game, and I hope that will happen in Munich."

The main reason for Cancelo's departure is the conflict with coach Pep Guardiola

Cancelo also confirmed Guardiola's explanation and shared the reason why he left Man City: "I think every player is a bit selfish. Any player wants to feel important, wants to play, and anyone who says otherwise is lying. As a competitive player like me, who always desires to win titles, I only want to play. I think I deserve to play more, but Pep didn't give me that chance. So, we talked and decided that it was best for me to leave in this transfer window... It's true that my personality is quite temperamental, but I have never lacked respect for teammates or coaches."

Joining in Bayern Munich - Cancelo's best decision?

Revival signal

Immediately after completing his loan deal, Cancelo made an impact in Bayern Munich's 4-2 victory over Wolfsburg by providing an assist for Kingsley Coman to score. However, he was substituted during the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Paris Saint-Germain, and Alphonso Davies scored the only goal of the game.

After that, he had a difficult time as he only played for eight minutes in the match against Union Berlin and was not used in the match against Stuttgart. In the second leg against PSG, he was only released in the last four minutes. Nevertheless, he managed to provide an assist for Serge Gnabry's winning goal.

Cancelo made an impact in Bayern Munich's 4-2 victory over Wolfsburg

Cancelo's impressive performance in the match against PSG showed that he deserved to be back in the starting line-up. He had a brilliant game in Bayern's 5-3 comeback win against Augsburg, scoring the equalizer and assisting Davies' final goal.

New coach - new problem?

Once Cancelo had proven his worth to coach Nagelsmann, the 35-year-old strategist was dismissed by Bayern. Coach Tuchel was brought in as his replacement.

In Bayern's first game under Tuchel, a crucial match against rival Borussia Dortmund, the Portuguese defender was once again relegated to the bench. Cancelo was only brought on when Bayern led 4-1 and their victory was almost certain.

Joao Cancelo continues to have issues at Bayern Munich

However, Tuchel dismissed any suggestion that Cancelo was not a good fit for him. "I love Joao Cancelo. He's a quality player, plays well with both feet, and passes the ball very well," the former Chelsea coach shared after the 4-2 victory. "I'm more than happy to have Cancelo here. The team will need him. I believe that Cancelo can play at the highest level for Bayern Munich."

Cancelo went on to start Bayern's next two matches, a DFB-Pokal loss to Freiburg and a 1-0 win over Freiburg in the Bundesliga.

How will Cancelo's future be?

Staying Bayern Munich

Since joining Bayern Munich, Cancelo has started in 8 of the 13 matches and has only missed one game. However, considering Bayern's competition in defense and the club's financial caution, it is possible that they may choose not to activate the €70 million buyout clause in the loan deal for Cancelo.

Joining Barcelona

Barcelona is reportedly interested in Cancelo due to their shortage of right-backs this season, with Jules Kounde and Ronald Araujo often playing out of position. However, due to their difficult financial situation, it is unlikely that they can afford to buy the Portuguese player and may have to settle for a loan deal.

It may be challenging to convince Manchester City to agree to the loan deal as they are known to profit from selling unwanted players, such as Gabriel Jesus and Zinchenko to Arsenal, and Raheem Sterling to Chelsea.

Joining Premier League's clubs

To turn a profit on their investment in Cancelo, Manchester City may have limited options, including selling to financially stable teams that are not direct competitors in the Premier League. Two potential candidates are Newcastle and Tottenham, who both need reinforcement in their full-back positions.

Meanwhile, Manchester United have depth at left-back but have concerns about Aaron Wan-Bissaka's attacking ability and Diogo Dalot's consistency at right-back. It remains to be seen whether United will make a surprise offer for Cancelo from their city rivals, and if City will accept it.

Manchester City set to face Chelsea with no time to dwell on heartache from Madrid

The treble-winning team shifts its attention towards achieving a historic feat: becoming the first English men's club to secure a double-double in the FA Cup semi-final.