‘I deserved to play’ - Defender reveals reason why he decided to leave Man City

Manchester City parted company with Joao Cancelo during the January transfer window. The Portugal international linked up with Bayern Munich on loan until the end of the season.

He has revealed that he wanted to leave the Etihad Stadium to get more game time under his belt, despite speculation of a fall out with boss Pep Guardiola. The 28-year-old made 26 appearances in all competitions for the current Premier League champions during the first-half of this campaign.

City signed him back in 2019 from Juventus and he has played 154 times for them altogether to date, chipping in with 10 goals. He has helped the club win the league title twice as well as the Carabao Cup.

Cancelo, who has also been on the books at Benfica and Valencia in the past, has opened up about his exit to Germany: “As I already said, he (Pep Guardiola) 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),’ he told 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. 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.

He added: “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.”

City are currently battling it out with Arsenal at the top of the league and they are back in action this weekend with an away trip to Bournemouth. Cancelo is also eyeing a title in the Bundesliga but his loan club Bayern Munich have competition for top spot from Borussia Dortmund, Union Berlin and Freiburg.