According to a recent report by the Manchester Evening News, Pep Guardiola’s midfield commander – Fernandinho, has come out and claimed that although his current contract at Manchester City expires in less than a year’s time, he still has the quality and fitness to play at the highest level for a few more years to come.
He went on to talk about how grateful he is about how everything fell into place for him, and that since making the move to Manchester City all those years ago, he has always given his 100% in honour of the logo on the shirt. Although he doesn’t want to set a timeline, he claimed that he can play for a ‘few more years’, at the highest level (via Manchester Evening News).
What Has Fernandinho Added To This City Side?
The Brazilian has been, arguably, Manchester City’s most pivotal player over the last few years. In recent times, his responsibility has taken a massive turn in the opposite direction as well. When the City defenders started to drop like flies at the start of the campaign, Guardiola needed the 34-year-old to deputise at centre-half, and he has stepped up to the plate.
Often seen as the epitome of versatility, the Brazilian has played in multiple positions since Guardiola took over, performing each assigned task with utmost precision and care. His ability to man-mark players and effectively take them out of the game has been one of City’s biggest assets.
How Would One Describe Fernandinho’s Skill-Set?
The Brazilian has been a member of the Manchester City team since joining from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013. Over the years, he has performed multiple duties for Guardiola, making an accurate description of his attributes, almost impossible to create. He tends to be very conscious about his defensive positioning and can cut out passes that he has no right to even spot.
Despite being 34, he still adds a surge of physicality and dynamism to the middle of the park, which allows the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva – Manchester City’s creative players, to express themselves. Despite not being very big in stature, the Brazilian tends to win most headers that come his way, and has a knack of popping up with important goals as well.
Can Manchester City Afford To Lose Fernandinho?
After 283 appearances and 23 goals for the club, asking whether a player is really important to this Man City team seems quite silly. Although Pep has attempted to address his rising age by bringing in a potential replacement in Rodri, the Brazilian’s ability in the middle of the park can never be replicated. Whether or not Pep decides to offer him a new contract or not, his influence on this City side is absolutely massive, and his departure could have grave after-effects.
