Toxic player threatens to derail Pep Guardiola’s plans for Man City after shock Barcelona decision

If there’s one thing that Pep Guardiola would seem to value above all else, it’s that his playing staff follow his instructions and details to the absolute letter.

You’re either with the Catalan coach or you’re out on your ear.

It’s a policy that’s served him well throughout his managerial career, and if there’s even a hint of toxic behaviour from a player, he’s cast aside and sold.

For all of his bravado, Zlatan Ibrahimovic found out to his cost at Barcelona that no matter how big your ego, you don’t cross Pep.

Another player whose behaviour in the past clearly hasn’t met with Guardiola’s very high standards is Joao Cancelo.

As Goal noted, a toxic row with the coach led to Cancelo’s loan move to Bayern Munich, but that the German champions didn’t take up their option tells us much.

Barcelona were next to take a chance on the Portuguese, and though he appeared to offer their back line some flexibility, when the big games came around, he was found wanting defensively.

Pep Guardiola could be forced to offer Joao Cancelo a home for 2024/25

That hadn’t appeared to have put the Catalan giants off sufficiently, and rumours have continued throughout the summer as to Barca again offering Cancelo a warm welcome for 2024/25.

However, the player himself looks to have scuppered any chance of that deal happening now, as Sport report that Barcelona have now turned down the chance to take the player back after his wage demands were deemed to be too excessive.

?? Pep Guardiola: “João Cancelo to re-join our squad? It can happen, yes”.

“He's training with us. We will see. Maybe he stays, maybe he goes on loan, maybe… I don't know yet”.

“He’s training with us, behaving really well in the training sessions”. pic.twitter.com/NhWPu0HC9h

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 16, 2024

If there’s one thing that has characterised this Barca team over the past few seasons, it’s their inability to sign the very best players anymore, for the simple fact that they don’t have the cash.

That leaves Guardiola in the awful predicament of having to find a place for Cancelo in his Man City squad, and even if he’s appeared to offer an olive branch recently, no one can be in any doubt that the manager would rather not have him at the Etihad Stadium again.

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