Manchester City are not expected to sign a left-back on the final day of the January transfer window despite allowing Joao Cancelo to leave for Bayern Munich.
Cancelo's shock departure to a European rival deprives Pep Guardiola of the defender that he has used the most this season, and puts further pressure on a backline that is not known for avoiding injuries. So fast and so hard was Cancelo's fall out of favour at the Etihad that it has been deemed best for everyone if he leaves immediately.
As the Manchester Evening News reported on Monday, City are very unlikely to go back into the market to replace Cancelo before the January window ends; Nathan Ake's form at left-back, Rico Lewis's emergence at right-back and the strength in depth at centre-backs have been cited as reasons to back the existing squad. And, despite names such as Fulham's Antonee Robinson and Ben Chilwell being floated online, the club stance has not changed.
