Perhaps the most surprising transfer news of the day on Monday was the departure of João Cancelo . However, according to English media, manager Pep Guardiola thought it was better that the Portuguese full-back would leave Manchester City in order not to jeopardize the harmony in the dressing room.
Cancelo was still a basic player at City before the World Cup, but according to The Athletic returned from Qatar full of frustrations because he ended up on the bench with Portugal during the tournament. Once back in Manchester, according to the generally well-informed medium, his state of mind did not improve when Guardiola benched him several times. The 28-year-old back also did not like the fact that the Spanish manager set him up against Chelsea at the beginning of January as a right winger and made a substitution at half-time.
The straw that broke the camel’s back
Cancelo is known, according to insiders, for having trouble with a reserve role. While players such as Nathan Aké, Gabriel Jesus and Bernardo Silva did manage to play a supporting role as professionals last season, the temperamental Portuguese is unable to hide his frustrations if he does not appear in his trainer’s plans. His reaction to his reserve role against Arsenal last Friday was, according to The Athletic, the proverbial straw for Guardiola, who then thought it better that Cancelo left.
The FA Cup game with Arsenal was Cancelo’s third game in a row in which he had to watch from the bench. From that place he saw his competitor Aké in the left back position develop into a match winner. When Guardiola was asked afterwards about the recent performance of the Orange international, he seemed to swallow words about the dissatisfaction of ‘Mr Cancelo’. “Not one person in the locker room… maybe… no, I don’t think so… there isn’t anyone who isn’t happy for him,” he commented.
The body language of Cancelo, who has already said goodbye to City on Instagram, said something different, according to The Athletic. The outcome of a conversation with Guardiola was that a transfer was best. The fact that Bayern then reported came in very well for City. The fear within the club was that Cancelo’s attitude would have had a negative impact on the squad. There doesn’t seem to be a replacement though. Guardiola thinks he has enough alternatives with Aké and Rico Lewis.
