Manchester City were handed a major boost on Friday as the the Premier League leaders announced that defensive midfielder Fernandinho had put pen to paper a two-year contract extension.
City manager Pep Guardiola, who has managed European giants such as Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the past, had recently said he considered combative Brazilian among the top three defensive midfielders on the planet.
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And Fernandinho was understandably thrilled at the compliment as he gushed, “This is a Club with a fantastic future and I want to be a part of it for as long as possible”.
“With Pep in charge, I feel sure we can win significant silverware and, importantly, we will try to do it playing attractive, attacking football.”
“It’s a pleasure to be a part of this Club and I look forward to seeing what the next few years bring.”
Currently, City are in the midst of a terrific season, competing for silverware on an unprecedented four fronts and their current squad has been rated by many as the greatest-side ever in the history of the Premier League.
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The 32-year-old Fernandinho forms a crucial part of that squad and until their dramatic defeat at the hands of Liverpool on Sunday, the Sky Blues were the sole unbeaten team in the English top-flight.
Despite their loss at Anfield, the Citizens are in pole position to clinch the league title as they hold a 12-point lead over their nearest rivals at the summit and are overwhelming favourites to reach the Carabao Cup final after edging Bristol City 2-1 in the first leg of the semi-final.
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They are in the fourth round of the FA Cup and are widely tipped to unseat Europe’s elite in the UEFA Champions League as well.
The Brazilian enforcer arrived in the summer of 2013 from Ukrainian outfit Shaktar Donetsk and has steadily established himself as one fo the Premier League’s foremost defensive midfielders.
In fact, most pundits and fans are of the opinion that Fernandinho has outshone the likes of N’Golo Kante (Chelsea) and Nemanja Matic (Manchester United) this season.