Fernandinho (Getty Images)
According to a report by The BBC, Fernandinho has signed a new contract at Manchester City. The Brazilian defensive midfielder signed from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013 and has given 8 years of solid service at the Etihad, winning multiple domestic titles and reaching one UEFA Champions League final.
But his stay was about to come to an end this summer. The 36-year-old was in the last few days of his contract in Manchester, but the report confirms that he has signed a one-year extension. And here we find out why this bit of business from the Citizens is one that would benefit them in the short term.
Manchester City spent a then club-record £62.8million on Spanish holding midfielder Rodri in 2019 to sign him as long-term successor of Fernandinho. And that has been the case for the past two years, with the former Atletico Madrid man making an astounding 105 appearances for the club in the space of two seasons.
But Rodri’s move hasn’t made Fernandinho redundant at The Etihad. The Brazilian holding midfielder has managed to make 78 appearances in all competitions since the 25-year-old was signed. That stat shows how vital Fernandinho still is to Pep Guardiola’s midfield despite his age.
While Rodri has been fortunate to not encounter spells of long-term injuries at City, Fernandinho’s importance would be highly felt if the Spaniard encounters fitness issues in the coming season. Having a natural defensive midfielder to rotate with Rodri makes it more likely that Ilkay Gundogan would not be played in the defensive midfield position.
The German midfielder’s services would then be harnessed in central midfield while the experienced Brazilian international holds the fort in front of the centre-backs. Another bonus of renewing his contract is that they can now be relaxed regarding a few targets that they have been chasing.
According to The Athletic (Subscription Required) [h/t Football.london] earlier this month, Manchester City are one of the clubs interested in a deal for West Ham United’s Declan Rice. The club has also been linked with Florian Neuhaus by AS (h/t The Express).
But having Fernandinho for another year means that missing out on any potential midfield target would not be a dagger through City’s hearts. Instead, they have bought themselves some time to look for a long-term replacement in the middle of the park and can shift their focus towards replacing legendary striker Sergio Aguero, who has left the club.
Not to mention, the Premier League experience and seniority that Fernandinho brings on and off the pitch would be a bonus for any manager to have. Furthermore, ESPN confirmed Eric Garcia’s sale to Barcelona and have mentioned the Catalan club’s interest in Aymeric Laporte.
If City face a shortage of centre-backs due to injury or when they want to play a formation with three centre-backs, Fernandinho’s versatility to play as a centre-back is also something that can come in handy. In the context of next season, this is a solid piece of business from City that the fans would be happy about.
