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There probably wasn’t a single news story around deadline day that had the same impact as the one involving Joao Cancelo.
The winger has a predilection for surprise -like the first time he recorded an assist with a ‘trivela’-, but this was another level.
Manchester City, a club that does not possess a traditional senior left-back, allowed their best impression of one to head to Bayern Munich for four months. They could even take on their parent club in the Champions League.
Bayern hold a £61.5m option to buy Cancelo at the end of the season, although that can be negotiated and the player even spoke of a return to the Etihad Stadium during his presentation in Germany.
Given the circumstances surrounding his departure, that seems unlikely as long as Pep Guardiola is manager. The pair’s relationship has soured in recent weeks as Cancelo sat on the bench, coming to a head last Friday ahead of the FA Cup win over Arsenal.
Joao Cancelo joined Bayern Munich on loan from Manchester City on deadline day
The move came after he grew frustrated at being dropped by Pep Guardiola.
In his television interview that night, Guardiola was about to say that everyone was delighted with the match winner, Nathan Ake, except for one player, but stopped himself. There are no prizes for guessing who might have been on his mind.
City had to make a quick decision with Cancelo, to weigh whether keeping an unhappy player risks upsetting the dressing room to the point where it is better to fall short in a key area of the pitch.
That he has been let go is a damning indication of the growing problems the club faced with the 28-year-old. He started just three of the 10 games after the World Cup, City losing two and being snatched at half time in the other.
I cancel has never been happy resting, never mind fallen. There was a chance for him to become a distraction and that has been removed.
Guardiola’s mantra for his players is that the disgruntled are free to leave if their representatives present an offer deemed acceptable and backed by the club’s hierarchy. This, with no loan fee and Bayern getting their full salary, was something they could live with.
“I don’t like having players at Man City who are not happy,” Guardiola said. ‘Playtime, I get it. I was a player and all the time I wanted to play.
These were the main reasons why Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling sought transfers last summer.
Bernardo Silva’s situation has been different: he wants to leave Manchester instead of the club, but suitors including Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have failed to meet City’s assessment.
From a purely sporting perspective with Cancelo, City were already framed at left-back and now they are an injury away from major difficulties.
Cancelo’s departure leaves a void on the left side that will be filled by Nathan Ake
Aymeric Laporte has shown that he can move from the center of defense to provide cover
City are hopeful Sergio Gomez can find his place in the Premier League after a slow start
But Guardiola is a problem solver. He has traded with Phil Foden at left-back late in a game this season, while Aymeric Laporte has also played there.
City hope Sergio Gomez’s career here will play out in a similar way to Zinchenko, who initially struggled before becoming an integral member of the team.
However, Ake has the shirt and should keep it for the foreseeable future, and his addition to that role is a sign of how City are developing tactically. The big guy up front likely had an impact on that change.
Obviously Ake is left-footed, something that has been a foreign concept in that side for some time, and he has shown potential to break lines in attacking areas and contribute to goals.
Not to the same extent as Cancelo, but nonetheless a meritorious participation. Ake has also helped the game of Jack Grealish, the freest winger to come out of his flank.
What the Dutch international also does is jump in to make a three-man defense more regularly when City are in possession, theoretically solidifying them more when transitioning into midfield.
Phil Foden finished one game at full-back earlier this season and could drop deeper if necessary
Doing that has allowed Rico Lewis to play almost exclusively alongside Rodri and then the attackers go and do their thing up front.
It’s not too dissimilar to how Cancelo played the role in previous seasons, although he was asked to stick around longer this term. So while Cancelo’s departure is strange, fraught with danger, Guardiola clearly believes he has the ability to cope until the summer.