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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has provided an update on Joao Cancelo's future following the player's return to first-team training at the Etihad. The Spaniard reckons Cancelo could stay put at the club but also opened the door to a potential loan move.
Joao Cancelo's future at Manchester City is uncertain. The Portuguese international lost his place at the Etihad following a reported fall-out with Guardiola back in January 2023.
He spent the second half of the 2022-23 campaign on loan with Bayern Munich before being sent on another loan spell to Barcelona last season.
After completing his stint with the Blaugrana, the right-back has returned to training with Manchester City's first team, but questions are already being asked about his future at the club.
At press conference this week, the question was thrown at the Cityzens boss, who chose to leave the door open for a potential reconciliation.
"He's training with us. We will see, maybe he'll stay, maybe go on loan. I don't know yet," Pep Guardiola told reporters as quoted by GOAL. "He's training with us, behaving really well in the training sessions. He loves to play football. We will see."
When asked specifically whether Cancelo could remain with Manchester City for the season, the Spaniard added:
"It could happen, yeah."
It's worth noting that Joao Cancelo has a contract with the Premier League champions till the summer of 2027. Last season, he played 42 games for Barcelona across competitions, recording four goals and five assists.
However, it doesn't look like the Blaugrana will be making any moves to sign him permanently this summer, as they have other important areas to address in their squad.
What's next for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City?
Manchester City returned to action on a very promising note this season with a hard-fought victory over Manchester United in the FA Community Shield at the Wembley last weekend.
Up next, Pep Guardiola's men kick off their Premier League campaign with a massive clash at Chelsea on Sunday (August 18). Following that, they take on Ipswich Town and West Ham United in their next two fixtures before the month closes.
Meanwhile, Joao Cancelo is expected to be a part of the squad during the trip to London this weekend despite his future being up in the air till the transfer window shuts.
