The veteran Brazilian is set to celebrate signing his new deal by making his 300th appearance for the club in the Manchester derby
Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho has signed a 12-month contract extension which will keep at the club until the end of 2021.
The 34-year-old is set to make his 300th appearance for City in Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup clash with Manchester United after six-and-a-half years with the club.
His contract was set to run out at the end of the season but Pep Guardiola expressed a desire to keep the Brazilian at the club after another outstanding campaign.
Editors’ Picks
- Eriksen, Young, Moses, Lukaku, Alexis: Inter coach Conte building a Premier League team in Serie A
- Arteta, Mourinho and Lampard need excruciating patience in this new age of the super club
- Klopp and Liverpool set to ‘mug off’ the FA Cup with replay snub
- Beckham’s first Inter Miami signing Pellegrini embraces groundbreaking new life in MLSFernandinho said: “This is the best possible news. I want to take this opportunity to put on record how grateful I am to my team-mates and the backroom staff here at City. Without them, this deal would not be possible, so sincere thanks to every single one of them.
“I have enjoyed every second of my time at City. I never expected to build such a meaningful relationship with the club and the fans, but it has happened, and I am grateful every single day.
“Our fans are unbelievable; I am so happy that I will continue to play for them a year longer. I feel their love and passion and it genuinely helps keep me driven.
“My focus now is on making sure we continue to be successful. My time here has been decorated by silverware, but under Pep’s guidance we have really accelerated. I want that to carry on for as long as possible.”
Director of football Txiki Begiristain added: “This new deal reflects Fernandinho’s quality and commitment. He is not only a first-class professional and one of the best players in world football, he is a fantastic person who leads by example every single day.
“We have a talented young squad – but making sure they are supplemented by senior players of Fernandinho’s ilk is of paramount importance. What he brings in terms of leadership and professionalism is valued by everyone at the football club.
“He is a player with outstanding technical quality, and his appreciation of the game allows him to play multiple positions. He is also a player without ego, someone who values his team-mates and recognises the importance of the squad.”
Fernandinho has been switched to centre-back this season and has become a key figure since the exit of captain Vincent Kompany in the summer and an injury to Aymeric Laporte that has ruled him out for much of the campaign.
He has started every Premier League game since mid-September and only missed the final Champions League group game against Dinamo Zagreb when he was rested with the English champions already securing a seeding place for the knockout stages.
Guardiola is likely to pair Fernandinho and Laporte in the centre of defence as their senior partnership when the Champions League restarts at the end of February against Real Madrid.
He was well on course to meet the obligations to automatically trigger a contract renewal but the club have stepped in early to ensure he stays for another season with him being free to talk to clubs outside of England since the turn of the year.
Guardiola was in no doubt that Fernandinho deserved a new deal.
“He didn’t have to convince me,” the City boss insisted earlier this month. “He convinced me on day one of the three years together.
“He knows the opinion we have about what he’s done at the club. He’s one of the greatest players this club has had in its whole history.”
Fernandinho turns 35 in May but despite being able to talk to any club across Europe, he is happy in Manchester.
He has been with City since 2013, winning the title three times as well as four League Cups and an FA Cup.
The former Shakhtar Donetsk player has not played for Brazil since the Copa America last summer although he has not officially retired from international football.
