Despite rumors of a falling out when Manchester City allowed the Portuguese full-back to sign with Bayern Munich, Pep Guardiola has stated he has nothing negative to say about Joao Cancelo.
Cancelo, 28, has signed a loan deal with the top Bundesliga team through the end of the current campaign, with a potential option to make the move permanent for £62.1 million in the summer.
The full-back has already played for Bayern, and on Wednesday he contributed to his team's crushing 4-0 victory over Mainz.
Despite Cancelo's game time being cut down recently due to the rise of academy prospect Rico Lewis, his departure from the Etihad came as a huge shock.
The choice may have also been influenced by rumors of a falling out with Pep Guardiola, despite what his manager's answer seemed to imply.
During a news conference on Friday, Guardiola was questioned about Cancelo's departure "I want to start by wishing him the best during his four months [on loan].
I'm not sure what'll happen in the upcoming season.
"A staggering number in the last two leagues that we won.
We created a preseason after the World Cup and made the decision to play, using some unique patterns.
What I see is enjoyable.
I give other players more time.
"He loves to play, which fits my personality.
He works out the hardest, but he rarely plays.
One of the players with more minutes in recent years.
He needs to play to be happy, so we decide to let him go to Munich because he is determined to play every game there.
When pressed more on the defender, Guardiola responded: "Listen, if Bayern wants Joao, it's because he's a beyond extraordinary player. Therefore, I'm not going to say a nasty word about him. His work ethic, desire, and skills. Everyone knows it.
"It took place just before the transfer window opened.
I've always been quite satisfied with the squad.
I'm not sure which is preferable—having one in the bank or facing criticism for spending more money.
I have a lot of faith in the guys we have, and if not, I'd tell my employers, "I think we can manage this. If City had thought about replacing him in January, he would have said, "Yeah, we discuss, but it took three minutes.
When I asked Txiki whether she had anything, she replied "no."
Wait, I said.
We may visit the market and spend a significant sum of money.
I would rather wait a few months till the season's end so we can go without.
We can see in the summer.
Cancelo emphasized on social media that his future was not yet set in stone despite his departure, saying: "The video on Instagram may sound like a farewell, but it wasn't meant that way.
We must wait and see what these next five months hold.
"I want to arrive here with no distractions. We will discuss this again at the end of the current campaign, but Manchester City is still my employer."
I don't consider it a permanent break from the club, "Added he. "I made my decision based in part on the fact that I haven't played much in recent weeks. My relationship with Pep is unrelated to this."