Manchester City stalwart to stay at the club next season
In a dramatic turn of events, star midfielder Fernandinho is set to sign a contract extension for a further 12 months at Manchester City, reports the Daily Mail.
Fernandinho, recently turned 36 and, having joined Manchester City back in the summer of 2013 from Shakhtar Donetsk, is out of contract in June. It looked likely that the Brazilian will leave the Etihad Stadium on a free transfer at the end of the season, with offers from South America on the table.
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However, Manchester City have apparently held discussions with their veteran skipper about him staying at the club after he hangs up his boots, the report adds.
Fernandinho has been a loyal servant to the club since arriving in Manchester some eight years back from Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk. He has been a stalwart at the club, clocking 347 appearances across all competitions for the Mancunian club, including 243 in the Premier League.
The defensive midfielder was handed the captaincy reins at the start of 2020/21 season following the departure of David Silva.
Fernandinho has performed his duties magnificently well, both on and off the pitch for City, further demonstrating his value to Pep Guardiola’s squad.
Under the management of Pep Guardiola, Fernandinho’s performances have been top-notch more often than not. A quintessential Guardiola player, the Brazilian international was preferred ahead of Rodri in midfield against Paris Saint-Germain, where he captained the side and put in a dominant display in the 2-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium that booked City’s first-ever Champions League final.
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Guardiola’s decision to play Fernandinho in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain once again proved how much he rates the player in such big games and against world-class players, even at an advancing age of 36.
Even though his age doesn’t allow him to play every single game, the news of Fernandinho now looking to extend his stay at the club beyond this season should be a big boost to Guardiola and Manchester City, who were crowned the Premier League champions on Tuesday after cross-town rivals Manchester United lost 2-1 to Leicester City at Old Trafford.