Why Manchester City could regret selling Joao Cancelo without any replacement
As far as surprises go, one of the most shocking transfers of the January window was Joao Cancelo's loan move from Manchester City to Bayern Munich.
The Portugal international’s time at the Etihad has been a massive hit. However, although his latest transfer came out of the blue, the buy option in the deal is the clearest indication that he may not return to England.
Cancelo has been one of Manchester City’s best players since joining from Juventus in 2019. He has been an important part of the club’s recent successes, which include two Premier League titles and a Carabao Cup.
His versatility allows him to play at both right-back and left-back. He was even in the Premier League Team of the Year last season after bagging seven assists in the campaign.
There have been varied reports about what exactly led to Cancelo’s departure. However, the bottom line is that Manchester City's loss could be Bayern’s gain and that is something many City fans won’t be happy with.
Cancelo all your plans for tomorrow 😄
#M05FCB 🔜 https://t.co/Ad2iJC30IW
Manchester City lose one of their best players
Cancelo has, no doubt, been among City’s best players in the last four-and-a-half years and he earned his position in the team.
This is a player who missed just two Premier League matches last season and was in the form of his life. Admittedly, his form has dipped a bit this term and he hasn’t really sparkled since returning from the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The emergence of Rico Lewis has also contributed to Cancelo’s reduced game time. However, he is still a better all-round player than the young Englishman, who still has a lot to learn.
Guardiola is usually not one to prevent a player from leaving but maybe he could’ve handled the Cancelo situation better. All players go through ups and downs, but class remains permanent. The Portuguese fullback is certainly a class player, even if his form hasn’t been the best in recent months.
Lewis may yet enjoy an extended run in the team and may even excel at it, but City have lost one of their best players to a European rival. This could come back to haunt them in the UEFA Champions League should they draw Bayern Munich in the knockout rounds.
Manchester City now short in full-back positions
Manchester City’s recent successes have been mainly due to the team’s quality and squad depth. As it stands, though, they are short in the full-back position.
One could argue that Kyle Walker and Lewis are good covers for the right-back position, but Guardiola’s side remains short at left-back.
Benjamin Mendy’s court trial means he won’t be available anytime soon and Cancelo was the only full-back who can comfortably slot in at left-back.
#FCBayern
Joao Cancelo on why he left Man City: "I've not had much game time, which influenced my decision - it's not about Pep. I really wanted new adventure, Bayern is dream club" 🔴 #FCBayern
"I took this chance when it came. I knew this big club and I wanted to take this opportunity". https://t.co/bEE678dfDk
His departure now leaves the club having to make do with make-shift options. Nathan Ake, who is predominantly a centre-back, has played there in recent weeks while Aymeric Laporte has also been deployed to the position a couple of times.
However, none of the aforementioned is a natural full-back and that affects the team’s play, especially when they’re attacking.
Manchester City are already ruing the decision to allow Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus, both of whom have hit the ground running, to join Arsenal last summer. The Gunners lead City by five points with a game in hand at the top of the Premier League table.
The Cityzens could come to regret selling Cancelo too to Bayern after failing to adequately bring in a replacement.