According to a recent interview by Sky Sports, Manchester City ace Fernandinho has conceded that he would be ‘happy’ to extend his contract at Manchester City if the club offers him a new deal in the months to come. The Brazilian talks about the journey that brought him to Manchester City in the first place, and how there were other potential suitors that his former club didn’t approve of. While keeping Fernandinho for another year past next season could obviously be a boost for City, the Brazilian also went on to say that he would be happy even if the club didn’t offer an extension.
Kevin De Bruyne was recently quoted to have said that he will be extending his career owing to the delay from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the interviewer asked Fernandinho if he had any such intentions.
The 34-year-old said, “I extended my contract a couple of months ago and I am so happy, but after that, we’ll see. If we have another conversation about another contract in the future, I would be happy. But if not, I would be happy as well because I know what I have done for this club and what this club has done for me, how they have helped me. This time has been a pleasure for me. Manchester City will always be in my heart. That’s for sure.”
What Does Fernandinho Add To This Manchester City Side?
The Brazilian veteran is arguably one of the most dominant defensive-midfielders in Europe on his day. Physically strong and supremely composed on the ball, Fernandinho offers a wide variety of attributes in the middle of the park. Capable of finding that killer pass with his vision and accuracy, the midfielder has even pitched in with goals and assists along the way. The sheer number of trophies he’s won at the club are a good indication of his actual quality.
Having arrived from the Ukrainian top-flight back in the summer of 2013, Fernandinho has gone on to become one of the main features of this Manchester City team over the last many years. Although he didn’t have quite the same influence under former managers, after Pep Guardiola’s takeover at the Etihad, he’s arguably been the most key cog in the Spaniard’s well-oiled Manchester City machine. His importance to the team was further highlighted when the Citizens went on to offer him a one-year extension back in January.
This season, the 34-year-old has even managed to show off his amazing versatility by playing pretty much the entirety of the league campaign in one of the centre-half roles. The fact that Pep Guardiola preferred to play Fernandinho in that position despite having a natural centre-half on the bench shows the pure quality that the midfielder possesses. Experience is another massive factor that the former Atletico-PR man adds to this City side, and replacing a true Etihad Stadium legend would surely be a strenuous task for any new player.
Should City Trigger An Extension Before The End Of Next Season?
One important factor that must be taken into consideration is the fact that the Brazilian is set to turn 35 in a few days. This means that at the end of next season, when his current contract expires, he would already be 36. Whether or not the midfield destroyer can perform at the same level in the upcoming league season is something that Pep Guardiola should be looking to analyse. If there isn’t a considerable drop-off, then it wouldn’t be overly far-fetched to think about offering the veteran a further year-long extension.
