German Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich have completed a deadline-day loan deal for Manchester City Portuguese 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 euros (£61.5m).
Speaking about the transfer, Cancelo said: “My decision had to do with the playing time that had been little in recent weeks.” The Portugal international joined City from Juventus in 2019 and has made 98 Premier League appearances.
He also said: “There was speculation that my relationship with Pep [Guardiola] was not the best but the fact is I wanted to play more.” He signed a new five-year deal with the reigning Premier League champions in February 2022, extending his contract at Etihad Stadium until 2027 and said this move was not a “final departure” from Manchester.
“I wanted to start this new adventure as soon as possible,” he said. “I enjoyed my time at City and I am still under contract with the club so I don’t see it as a final departure. “I will now focus only on my five months and see what happens then.”