The Bundesliga defending champions, FC Bayern Munich have signed a contract with the Manchester City full-back, Joao Cancelo.
The German club have agreed that Cancelo will join the club on an initial loan with the choice of a permanent transfer in the summer for €70 million.
The 28-year-old was a mainstay in Guardiola’s team at the commencement of the season, but he has only started five of the last 14 matches played across all competitions.
Due to a slump in form, he was also dropped from Portugal’s World Cup squad in Qatar. Guardiola was willing to let Cancelo go after being impressed by Rico Lewis’s development and Nathan Ake’s performance at left-back.
Cancelo was not offered to other clubs by City, and Bayern’s bid was considered to be good business for both the club and the player.
Cancelo joined the Etihad Stadium from Juventus in 2019 and was instrumental in the club’s Premier League title wins in 2021 and 2022. Last season, he appeared in 52 games across all competitions, including 36 of City’s 38 league matches.
Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga lead has shrunk from four points before the World Cup to one point ever since the league’s resumption.
Three 1-1 draws in three games to RB Leipzig, Cologne, and Eintracht Frankfurt, have compelled more self-reflection and heaped strain on coach Julian Nagelsmann ahead of the season’s pivotal stage.