João Cancelo: 5 Reasons Why Manchester City's New Full-Back Is the Perfect Etihad Addition

Premier League champions Manchester City completed the signing of Juventus defender João Cancelo on a six-year deal for £27million, plus Danilo in part-exchange, before the transfer window slammed shut.

The 25-year-old, who has signed a six-year deal at the Ethiad, was part of the squad that thrashed West Ham United 5-0 in their opening day victory at the London Stadium, but had to watch on from the sidelines as Kyle Walker put in a superb performance on the right hand side of defence.

Despite that, Cancelo is expected to play a prominent role in Manchester this season - with Pep Guardiola moving heaven and high water to land his man. Here are five reasons why he is perfectly suited to the manager that everyone wants to play under..

His Technical Proficiency Is Ideal for Pep's Style of Play

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The 25-year-old former Juventus and Valencia defender is the textbook Pep Guardiola player. Being technically-gifted and forward thinking, he is comfortable getting involved in intricate, free-flowing football in forward positions, meaning Cancelo can support the likes of Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne in attack.

One key aspect of Cancelo's game last season was his never-say-die spirit, something which made him a fan-favourite at the Allianz Stadium. 

Cancelo works tirelessly up and down the right-flank, never shirking a tackle, and this type of player has previously thrived under the stewardship of the Spanish tactician over the years. Dani Alves and David Alaba are prime examples, and we are starting to see the same with Oleksandr Zinchenko on the left flank too.

Pep is the right man to get the best out of him, and with the right coaching, Manchester City can develop him into one of the world's best.

He Is Versatile Enough to Play on Both Flanks 

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Bianconeri fans will have been disappointed to see one of their most talented defenders swap Turin for Manchester. 

Cancelo, for most of his career, has been plying his trade in his favoured right-back position, but he is happy to be deployed further forward if required. More crucially, the Portuguese was used by Juventus on the left-side of the backline on a number of occasions last season, which may help Pep solve his Benjamin Mendy problem.

The Frenchman has struggled with a multitude of injuries since arriving at the Etihad, and Cancelo's ability to fill in on the left will lighten the load on the ever-improving Oleksandr Zinchenko. His blistering pace, and ability with both feet, will undoubtedly have caught Pep's eye.

He Provides Pep With Incredible Strength in Depth

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Kyle Walker has impressed greatly since moving to City from Tottenham for £50m two years ago, but he has been called into question for his defensive positioning on occasions.

The England speedster chipped in with six assists last season, marauding forward to pen opposition full-backs deep into their own half. However, compared to Mendy, who contributed five assists in just ten appearances, Walker's numbers don't quite stack up.

Couple that with some iffy defending and decision making, and it's easy to see why Guardiola may have felt an upgrade was required. Cancelo may provide just that, but Walker's performance on the opening day of the season shows that he is focussed and wary of City's brand new star.

He Loves Getting Forward

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One of the key elements to Cancelo's game is the vast threat he poses going forward. He possesses an absolute abundance of attacking gifts - combining blistering pace, a superb first touch, calmness under pressure, the ability to use both feet and, crucially, a deadly delivery.

The 25-year-old exploited forward areas under previous manager Massimiliano Allegri, helping Juventus continue their domination of Serie A.

Guardiola clearly loves a full-back with attacking intent, and the money he has splashed out on the position since taking charge speaks volumes. Mendy, Walker, Danilo, Angelino and now Cancelo have arrived over the past couple of summers, with over £150m forked out to bring them to the Etihad.

He's Young Enough to Mould and Improve

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Cancelo is far from the finished article, as he too often gifts possession away to the opposition in tight areas.

However, working under Guardiola, he will now be drilled by a coach who specialises in coaching his players to escape close calls, without compromising the club's ethos and footballing principles.

The former Benfica youngster is good in the tackle, and has proven time and again that he's difficult to get past. Should he develop with the ball at his feet, City could have one of the most exciting full-backs in the world on their books.