Man City star hints at permanent move, stating ‘everything has an end’ but he ‘might even return’
Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo has revealed he “might even return” to the club after his loan spell at Bayern Munich but admitted “everything in life has an end”.
Cancelo couldn’t have hoped for a better spell at a club than his first few seasons at the Etihad. Indeed, after City finished second in the league in his first season, he was part of a back-to-back title-winning side the following two campaigns.
The Portuguese’s role in the side was growing in the first of those triumphant seasons. He played 28 league games in which he scored twice and assisted four times in the first.
The following year he missed just two league games and was a crucial part of the squad, scoring once and assisting eight times.
While this season didn’t see much of a change in his important role – he missed just three league games – a change of system signalled the end of his immediate future at City.
Indeed, Cancelo revealed Pep Guardiola “liked what he saw” from other members of the squad while “playing with a full-back more inside”.
On top of that, he admitted he thought he “deserved to play” and the manager didn’t in the games he missed. As such, he made a loan move to Bayern Munich in January.
Bayern have the opportunity to make that move permanent in the summer for around £61million. And they might well do that given his form – Cancelo has provided assists in two of his five games at the club so far, and has won all but one game.
While he’s enjoying a successful period away from City, he’s got one eye on their results, given his healthy relationship with a lot of the players.
“Will I still celebrate an English title with City? I hope so. I created a second family there,” he told O Jogo.
“Bernardo [Silva] has become one of my best friends, he is the person I miss the most there. He was my psychologist. When something didn’t go so well, he was the one to talk to.
“Ruben [Dias] too, but my relationship with Bernardo is actually very good, even on the field, we had a great connection when we played on the same side.
“He is a person that I will take with me for the rest of my life. Of course, in England I’m rooting for them and I hope they win so that at the end of the season I can be celebrating a title in England and another in Germany.
“City’s group is spectacular, it’s the best I’ve ever worked in, both as a group and personally. I created great friendships.”
Cancelo also hinted at the possibility that he might return to the club, despite also seemingly admitting his time at City might well be coming to its end.
“A spectacular group, I would go to training with great enthusiasm. Everything in life has an end.
“But at the end of the season I might even return, you never know.”
Following his sudden exit in January, it wouldn’t be a surprise if City were fine with him leaving permanently.
