Joao Cancelo admits leaving Man City for Barcelona was a 'risk'
- Cancelo joined Barcelona on loan from Man City
- Deal runs until next summer with no option to buy
- Player explains why the move was a 'risk' for him
Joao Cancelo has admitted it was a "risk" to join Barcelona from Manchester City during the summer transfer window, but insists it was an opportunity that was impossible to turn down.
Cancelo completed his loan move to Barca on deadline day, having not featured for City since pre-season. The defender had unexpectedly spent the second half of last season on loan at Bayern Munich after becoming dissatisfied over losing his place in Manchester.
In the circumstances, another move away was always likely and Barca got the deal done.
"[City] are the best team in the world and coming here was a risk. But it is Barcelona – when the opportunity comes to you from Barca, you have to come," Cancelo told Mundo Deportivo.
"My family, all my friends know that I wanted to play here for a long time, it is a club that always excited me because my idols played here," he added.
"Now, I want to show people the player I am, lately I haven't had the performance I wanted and I want to give my best version to help this club get back to where it deserves."
Barcelona sporting director Deco has already confirmed that the club has no option to buy as part of Cancelo’s loan deal. The situation is the same with fellow new arrival Joao Felix.
"Neither Cancelo nor Joao Felix have a purchase option. It is a simple one-year loan. If they do well, we will try to retain them," Deco recently said on the matter.
It means there are no guarantees that Barca will keep either beyond this season. For Cancelo, the task is simple in that he is fully aware he is playing for his future.
"What I want is to perform, and at the end to speak," he explained.
"First, perform, win titles with this club, be an important player on the team, and at the end talk about staying or not. It will depend on the club, on how I performed.
"In the end they measure you by performance, if you don't perform, you don't stay. If you perform, they will love you. So I want to perform, work and enjoy this club."
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