“You never know” – Joao Cancelo offers hint on Manchester City future despite Bayern Munich loan

Joao Cancelo has opened the door for a potential Manchester City return after joining Bayern Munich on loan in January, speaking in a new interview.

The 28-year-old joined Bayern on loan till the end of the season with a reported €70 million clause to make the move permanent in the summer.

After a summer switch to the Etihad Stadium in 2019, Cancelo took time to settle to life in England and was in and out of Pep Guardiola’s preferred XI in his debut season at Manchester City.

However, the Portuguese emerged as a key outlet for the Manchester City manager in his second season in the north-west, helping the Blues win their third league title under Guardiola.

Cancelo enjoyed a brilliant campaign in Manchester last term, scoring three times and providing 10 assists in 52 outings across all competitions as City retained the Premier League title and reached the Champions League semi-final.

City rewarded Cancelo for his rise as one of Guardiola’s most important players with a two-year contract extension midway through last season, tying the full-back down till 2027.

After an encouraging start to the current season however, the Portugal international came under scrutiny for lapses of concentration in games and mistakes that led directly to opposition goals.

The rise of academy star Rico Lewis and Nathan Ake’s displays at left-back made it difficult for Cancelo to get a further look in amidst his struggles for form and consistency.

Cancelo is believed to have expressed his frustrations over reduced minutes multiple times in and around the dressing room, as he then fell out with Pep Guardiola, who continued to look past the disgruntled Portuguese in his team selections.

An agreement was then reached between City and Cancelo, who was allowed to join Bayern Munich on loan for the remainder of the campaign.

However, in a recent interview with Portuguese daily O Jogo, the defender has made a surprising admission on his Manchester City future.

“Will I still celebrate an English title with (Manchester) City? I hope so, I created a second family there,” Cancelo said, as translated and relayed by talkSPORT.

“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 (Silva) is actually very good – even on the field, we had a great connection when we played on the same side.”

There remains uncertainty surrounding Bernardo Silva’s future at the Etihad Stadium, with the midfielder expected to push for a dream move to Barcelona again this summer.

Cancelo added: “He (Silva) is a person that I will take with me for the rest of my life. Of course, in England I’m rooting for them (Manchester City) 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. (Riyad) Mahrez is a great friend of mine, not a day goes by that he doesn’t call me.

“(Jack) Grealish is a spectacular person. Nathan (Ake) is one of the best people I’ve met in football. A spectacular group, I would go to training (at Manchester City) with great enthusiasm. 

“Everything in life has an end. But at the end of the season, I might even return – you never know.”

It remains to be seen what the summer holds for Cancelo and Manchester City, who are expected to enter the transfer market in search of a left-back following their struggles in the position again this term.