Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo joins Barcelona: Decoding his stats
Barcelona snapped up Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo on loan. Notably, there is no option for a permanent transfer. This will be the Portuguese defender's second loan stint in two seasons after he spent his last season at Bayern Munich. Barca have roped in a versatile player, who has played for several big clubs. Here we decode his stats.
Why does this story matter?
Cancelo fell out of favor with City boss Pep Guardiola and therefore, he spent the second half of last season on loan at Bayern. However, the German giants declined their opportunity to trigger a permanent transfer. The 29-year-old can revive his career at Barcelona as he will allow the stability that they require and it will allow Xavi to try different strategies and formations.
A look at Cancelo's career stats
He started his career at Benfica B and represented 51 matches for them. He played two times for the senior team before moving to Valencia, initially on loan before they signed him permanently. He played 91 matches for them. Cancelo had a loan stint at Inter (28), before moving to Juventus (34). He represented City 154 times while making 21 appearances for Bayern (loan).
Breaking down Cancelo's numbers in the 2022-23 Premier League season
Cancelo featured in 17 Premier League matches before he moved out on loan to join Bayern. He scored twice last season and also provided an assist. The full-back created 12 chances. As per Opta, he completed 950 out of the 1,095 attempted passes clocking 86.76% passing accuracy. Cancelo completed 31 take-ons and made 29 tackles. He won 27 aerial duels and 78 ground duels.
Breaking down Cancelo's numbers in 2022-23 Bundesliga
Cancelo moved to Bayern in January and made 15 Bundesliga appearances last season. The 29-year-old netted once and provided four assists. He created 14 chances As per Opta, out of his 730 passes attempted, he completed 621 registering 85.07% passing accuracy. He won 16 aerial duels and 72 ground duels along with 15 clearances and interceptions. Cancelo completed 34 take-ons while making 23 tackles.
A look at his overall Premier League stats
The Portugal international has played 98 Premier League matches for Manchester City while scoring five goals and providing 11 assists and keeping 41 clean sheets. Cancelo has made 220 tackles, clocking a 64% tackle-success rate. He has amassed 140 interceptions, 81 clearances and won 593 duels. He won 133 aerial battles and managed 558 recoveries. Cancelo created 22 big chances and completed 6,910 passes.
A look at Cancelo's trophy cabinet
Cancelo opened his account with the Liga Portugal title (2013-14) with Benfica. He then won the Serie A (2018-19) and Supercoppa Italiana (2018 with Juventus. Since his move to City, he won three consecutive Premier League titles (2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23). He also has a Champions League runners-up medal from 2020-21. Cancelo won the Bundesliga 2022-23 with Bayern as he was there on loan.
A mainstay for the Portugal national team
Cancelo has featured 44 times for Portugal, netting eight goals. He received his first international call-up back in 2016 from manager Fernando Santos. He scored his first international goal in Portugal's 5-0 thumping against Gibraltar. The 29-year-old full-back was a part of the Portugal team that got eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup held in Qatar.
