Manchester City transfer news: Bayern Munich sign Joao Cancelo

Manchester City transfer news: Bayern Munich sign Joao Cancelo
_128469257_gettyimages-1243831382.jpgJoao Cancelo has scored five Premier League goals for Manchester City

Bayern Munich have completed a deadline-day loan deal for Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo.

The 28-year-old joins until the end of the season with the option to join permanently in the summer for 70m euro (£61.5m).

"Bayern is a great club, one of the best in the world," Cancelo said. "I know this team lives for titles."

The Portugal international joined City from Juventus in 2019 and has made 98 Premier League appearances.

"It's enormous motivation for me to now play alongside these extraordinary players in a team," Cancelo added.

"I'm also driven by the hunger for success. I'll give my best for Bayern."

Under City boss Pep Guardiola, he has won two league titles and the EFL Cup and had previously been viewed as one of City's key players because of his ability to drift inside and act as a playmaker when City had the ball. 

His performances saw him named in the PFA Premier League team of the year for the last two seasons.

However, he joins the German champions having only started three games since the World Cup, his reduced playing time coinciding with the emergence of teenager Rico Lewis and Nathan Ake's improved form.

Cancelo's last two appearances were in the defeats by Southampton and Manchester United.

Hasan Salihamidzic, FC Bayern board member for sport, said: "Joao is a player we've been thinking about for a while now because we very much appreciate his qualities.

"He's the optimal fit in our system with his attacking style of play and dynamism, and his mentality and experience fit very well in our team. I'm convinced Joao will help us in the coming weeks and months where we want to win titles."

Bayern sit top of the Bundesliga, one point clear of Union Berlin.

Cancelo signed a new five-year deal with the reigning Premier League champions in February 2022, extending his contract at Etihad Stadium until 2027.

Analysis - Tactical tweaks reduced Cancelo's influence

Simon Stone, BBC Sport

Guardiola has never made any secret of the fact he won't keep an unhappy player and Cancelo is not happy at his limited game time.

The brutal truth is that, in a season where City have struggled to find the consistency and effectiveness of recent seasons, Cancelo is one of those who have not reached the required levels.

Erling Haaland's arrival has triggered some tactical tweaks and Cancelo is no longer the force he was.

There are question marks over the fitness of John Stones, Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias, so this move is not without risk.

But Guardiola has led City to four titles in five seasons, and in sanctioning this move has shown he is brave enough to make decisions he believes will give the club the best chance of continued success.

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