Joao Cancelo has acknowledged to having a ‘difficult personality’ as he reiterated his assertion that his deadline-day departure from Manchester City was a mutual choice reached in a chat with manager Pep Guardiola.
The Portuguese defender joined Bayern Munich on loan until the end of the season – with a £61million buy option – after falling out of favour at the Etihad.
Cancelo, who has previously brandished claims that his exit came as a result of a row with Guardiola as a ‘complete lie’, said he wanted to leave because he felt he deserved to play more than Rico Lewis and Nathan Ake, who had been selected ahead of him before he made the switch to the Bundesliga.
The 28-year-old said it was a ‘mutual agreement’ between him and the club, but stated there was a disagreement with Guardiola over whether he deserved more minutes for the Citizens.
He admitted that the Spanish manager was growing increasingly impressed by fellow defenders Lewis and Ake, but suggested that the majority of players would have demanded more game time as he did.
Joao Cancelo sealed a deadline day move to German record winners Bayern Munich on loan
‘As I already said, he found a way to play, after the World Cup, in which he started playing with a full-back more inside, where I also played, and he liked what he saw with Rico [Lewis] and Nathan [Ake],’ Cancelo said, according to O Jogo.
‘But I think a player is always a bit selfish. Any player wants to feel important, wants to play and anyone who says otherwise is lying. A competitive player, like me, who aspires to win titles, just wants to play.
‘It’s not a question of devaluing my team-mates. But I thought I deserved to play and he didn’t.
The versatile full-back disagreed with manager Pep Guardiola over his playing time
‘So we talked, it was a conversation, not a discussion, and we decided that the best thing would be for me to leave this market. An opportunity I couldn’t refuse. It was by mutual agreement.
‘If City didn’t want to, they wouldn’t let me leave, because I had a contract. I’m very professional, I’ve always given my face for all the clubs. I have a difficult personality, yes, but I have never, at any time, disrespected team-mates or coaches.’
The player had resumed his role as a near ever-present under Guardiola at the start of the season, but saw his game time limited by the emergence of Lewis following the World Cup.
Since December 28, Cancelo only played more than 45 minutes for City three times and was left on the bench for the entire match on five occasions.
The Portugal international was left on the bench five times since the end of the World Cup
Sportsmail had exclusively revealed that Cancelo had a heated training ground bust-up with City boss Guardiola, which prompted him to seek an exit.
The confrontation occurred after Cancelo was snubbed during Manchester City’s FA Cup fourth-round victory against Arsenal last month, with Ake starting ahead of him at left-back and Lewis on the opposite flank.
Game-time has not been an issue for the Portugal international so far since his switch to the German titans.
He has made five appearances already, with just one of those coming from the bench, and has made two assists.
