Despite Joao Cancelo not playing for Manchester City since January 2023 due to a fallout with Pep Guardiola, he remains under contract with the club until 2027. After a loan stint at Bayern Munich during the latter part of the 2022–2023 season, Cancelo spent the entire following season at Barcelona. Since returning from his time in Portugal, he has been training with his former Manchester City teammates.
GUARDIOLA’S COMMENTS
Guardiola mentioned, “He is training with us, and we’ll see what happens. He might choose to stay or go out on loan. Right now, I’m not sure. He’s showing excellent behavior in training and is clearly passionate about football.” When asked directly if Cancelo would remain with City for the entire season, Guardiola responded, “It’s possible, yes.”
Cancelo was a key player for Manchester City during their Premier League successes in the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons. However, his relationship with Guardiola soured after the World Cup. According to The Times, during one of Guardiola’s pre-match team talks, Cancelo was seen listening to music with headphones. Shortly afterward, Guardiola reportedly told Txiki Begiristain, the sports director, “For the good of the team, Cancelo should be gone by the end of the transfer window.”
