Kayky says his year-long loan move back to his native Brazil will help him rebuild after 18 months at Manchester City.
The winger, 19, signed for City in the summer of 2021 from Fluminense for an initial £8.6m, with add-ons potentially taking the deal to £21m. He was a frequent fixture in first-team training after his arrival at the Etihad, as well as making a number of appearances for the Elite Development Squad, scoring six times.
After two substitute appearances for City last season, plus some friendly cameos in the summer, Kayky spent the first half of the campaign in Portugal on loan at Pacos de Ferreira. However, after nine appearances and no goals, Kayky's loan was cut short and he has now joined Bahia on loan for the entirety of their 2023 season.
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Explaining his move, Kayky hinted that the first 18 months of his City career might not have been going to plan, saying his return home to Brazil will help him restore confidence and play regularly.
However, he also hinted that he could 'follow another path' at the end of the year, depending on how his spell at Bahia goes.
Speaking at his unveiling, Kayky said (via Bahia Notícias): "These are choices you have to make. When it’s not turning out the way you want it to and you’re young, you have to try to rebuild yourself.
“I reached a high level that is football in England and arriving young, having patience to wait. We preferred to return to Brazil to gain confidence and be able to return or follow another path.”
Meanwhile, City midfielder Diego Rosa has joined Bahia permanently on a deal until 2027. Rosa, 20, signed from Gremio in 2021 and spent the 2021/22 season on loan at sister club Lommel.
He spent the first half of the season at Vizela in Portugal, and has now left City for good without making an appearance - although he did take part in pre-season training with Pep Guardiola in 2021 as more senior City players were involved in Euro 2020.
While Rosa has left City permanently, the Blues will be able to keep a close eye on Kayky, who is under contract until 2026, as their parent company the City Football Group are close to adding Bahia to their collection of teams around the world.
Last month, Bahia members voted overwhelmingly in favour of becoming part of the CFG with a 98.6 approval rating. After the vote, City and CFG CEO Ferran Soriano said he expected the takeover to be finalised in early 2023.
He added: “By completing the process, we will implement a long-term strategy for Bahia to boost the growth of the club. We will prioritise strengthening squads and youth divisions to compete at a high level, engaging with fans and improving their experience, achieving solid long-term financial sustainability and always keeping in focus the strong values, roots and identity of EC Bahia."
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