Cancelo is in Real contention
FULL-BACK IN FRAME FOR UPCOMING REAL CLASH
THERE was absolutely no surprise when reports emerged from Spain during the lockdown that City were looking to trade Joao Cancelo for Barcelona fullback Nelson Semedo.
Jettisoning a £60m player after just one season is startling, but the writing had been on the wall with Cancelo for so long.
For months Pep Guardiola had made it clear there was no issue with the player’s performance level but wanted the player to be more open-minded and understanding of what the coaches demanded in what is a demanding system and a demanding club.
Cancelo, on his fourth move in six years, simply did not seem to get it and being left out of the travelling squad for the Carabao Cup final was about as damning as it gets.
When football was suspended, the Cancelo problem loomed large for the Blues. They could ill-afford to spend more time and money on that position in a truncated, volatile transfer market after a season which has highlighted other areas of the team that require strengthening, but it was just so difficult to imagine the Portugal international could turn things around.
It is still early days, yet the 26-year-old is showing signs of an almighty transformation.
Guardiola lauded him as the best player when the team returned to training in May following the two-month pause, and while injuries kept him out early on in the restart he has shot to prominence over the last week.
With all eyes on Real Madrid, and with first choice left-back Benjamin Mendy suspended for the game, Cancelo was used in that position against Watford and earned a glowing review from his manager when he was brought up after the match. After another start there on the final day of the season against Norwich, he didn’t even need to be mentioned in the question to receive more praise for his performance. Two performances in a couple of days could have catapulted the player into the starting XI for City’s biggest game of the season – an unthinkable
It is still early days, yet Cancelo is showing signs of an almighty transformation at City
Simon Bajkowski
prospect as recently as a few weeks ago – and also helped the club out for the upcoming transfer window.
It is unclear how much Cancelo’s presence has pushed Kyle Walker on at right-back, but it cannot be denied that the England defender has upped his level this season following an unsteady pre-season tour that prompted the need to bring in fresh competition (as well as Danilo’s desire to leave).
And if Cancelo can also be counted as a serious option on the left, competing with Mendy who has also shown signs of knuckling down, that frees City up to dedicate more resources to the centre of defence and in attack where they will need to replace departed stars.
Time will tell, and Real Madrid may be the decider, but what looked like a glaring City mistake last summer suddenly has a lot of potential.