Pep Guardiola has revealed that Joao Cancelo's decision to leave Manchester City was driven by a lack of first-team football.
The 28-year-old had been a key cog in Guardiola's machine since moving to the Etihad Stadium from Juventus in 2019, and started 16 of their 20 Premier League matches this season.
However, the two-time Premier League winner fell out of favour with Guardiola after the World Cup, starting just three of City's 10 competitive games in all competitions and not featuring at all on five occasions.
Cancelo is understood to have voiced his concerns over a lack of game time after not being named in the starting lineup for City's FA Cup fourth-round tie against Arsenal last Friday – the third successive game in which the full-back was named on the substitutes' bench.
The Portugal international eventually secured a surprise loan move to Bayern Munich on deadline day and he will spend the rest of the season with the Bundesliga giants, who are said to have an option to make his deal permanent in the summer for around €70m (£61.5m).
There had been reports suggesting that Cancelo had a training ground bust-up with Guardiola which lead to his swift switch to Bayern, but the full-back has denied such claims.
© Reuters
Guardiola, meanwhile, has wished Cancelo well with the German club and has explained that a lack of game time was one of the main reasons behind his decision to depart the Etihad.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Guardiola said: "First I wish him the very best in his four months. Next season I don't know what happens. An incredible figure in the last two leagues we won.
"After the World Cup, we make a pre-season and decided to play in some patterns different. I like what I watched. I gave more time to other players.
"His personality, mine, he loves to play. He trains the best, the situation he doesn't play much. In the last years one of the players with more minutes. He needs to play to be happy, we decide to let him go to Munich."
Guardiola added: "If Bayern Munich want Joao it's because he's an exceptional player. I won't say a bad word, his work ethic, passion, skills. Everyone knows it.
"It happens one or two days before the window. Always I'm pleased with the squad. Being not sure, it's better to have the money in the bank and don't be criticised to spend more."
City have been left light in the full-back department following Cancelo's exit, with Nathan Ake set to feature more regularly as a left-back in the coming months, along with Sergio Gomez.
© Reuters
Meanwhile, 18-year-old right-back Rico Lewis is enjoying an impressive breakthrough season with the Citizens, which had lead to Kyle Walker occupying a place on the bench in recent weeks.
Guardiola has admitted that he held brief talks with City's hierarchy over whether they should recruit a replacement for Cancelo in the final hours of deadline day, but the Spaniard insists that he is happy with the options available within his current squad.
"We talked, but took three minutes. I said do you have something, Txiki [Begiristain] said no. I said wait," said Guardiola. "We could go to the market and pay huge amount of money. I prefer a few months until the end of the season we can do it without. In the summer we see.
"We can handle the situation in all departments. I trust the players. If I had the feeling, I'd say to my bosses we should do this. With [Manuel] Akanji, I said we should have another central defender. Nathan [Ake] was injured, Ruben [Dias] too, John [Stones]. We had this opportunity. In this case completely different."
Asked if left-footer Phil Foden could be seen taking up a left wing-back position in the near future, Guardiola added: "No, I prefer to play Phil in [attacking] positions. In an emergency he can play there. Now he plays his natural positions, behind the striker."
Cancelo has since settled in quickly at Bayern and provided an assist on his full debut in the 4-0 away victory over Mainz 05 in the last 16 of the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday.
Man City, meanwhile, are preparing for a Premier League trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday as they bid to close what could be an eight-point gap to leaders Arsenal if they beat Everton on Saturday.
