Fernandinho
Manchester City agree contract terms with £150,000-a-week star, announcement due soon – report
Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho is set to put pen-to-paper on a new one-year contract with Manchester City, according to The Mail. The 36-year-old was recently included in the list of Premier League players to be released, but it was anticipated that he would extend his stay. It is now reported that Fernandinho has agreed terms over a 12-month extension, and a formal announcement will be made shortly. The midfielder is regarded as an invaluable figure in the club’s dressing room despite approaching the final phase of his career. Sportslens view: Fernandinho’s game time was limited during the first half of last season, with Rodrigo regularly preferred for the holding midfield role. The Brazilian became a more influential figure under Guardiola from February and got an equal share of playin...
Jorginho almost joined Manchester City in 2018 – agent
Chelsea star Jorginho was close to joining Manchester City prior to his move to west London, according to the midfielder’s agent. Jorginho followed Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri to Stamford Bridge in 2018 and has since become a key part of the Blues line-up, helping them to Champions League final victory over City in May. But if things had turned out differently he might well have lined up against his current team-mates in Porto. “It was Napoli’s choice,” agent Joao Santos explained to Football Italia. “They were negotiating with Manchester City, but then they began talks with Chelsea, and that’s where we ended up. “We have nothing against Manchester City. Playing at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola would have been satisfying, but that’s how transfers work. “Sometimes things can change ver...
Man City plan contract talks with £150,000-a-week star after ‘incredible’ performance vs PSG
Manchester City are planning to renew midfielder Fernandinho’s contract for another season after his impressive run of form in recent months, The Mail reports. The 36-year-old has been a mainstay in the Cityzens squad since he arrived from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013, but his playing time has reduced this term. The Brazilian has played over 2,000 minutes of first-team football, but he has managed only 11 starts over the course of the Premier League season. Despite this, he is hugely valued by Pep Guardiola and was recently preferred over Rodrigo for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain. Guardiola described the midfielder’s performance as ‘incredible‘, and it is now reported that the club could extend his contract which expires in June. It was recen...
Manchester City close in on Premier League title with Leicester win
Manchester City took another significant step towards the Premier League title with a 2-0 victory at Leicester City. The visitors dominated from the off and thought they were ahead on five minutes. Fernandinho rifled a 35-yard strike into the bottom corner, but Sergio Aguero – who was appearing for the first time since his impending summer departure from City was announced – was deemed to be offside. Kevin de Bruyne then hit the crossbar with a stunning free kick before Leicester’s best moment saw Jamie Vardy’s strike ruled out for offside on the stroke of half time. The pattern of Man City dominance continued after the break and they deservedly took the lead on 58 minutes when Benjamin Mendy showed great composure to cut inside and place a low shot into the far corner. Gabriel Jesus made ...
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must avoid Jose Mourinho’s mistakes to succeed
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has arguably fallen into the Jose Mourinho trap and needs to sort things out before they get out of hand. Sir Alex Ferguson often spoke about how, when setting his teams up, he would mostly focus on his own side and only a little attention was spent on the opponent. The legendary Scotsman made it a point to reiterate the balance was delicate and couldn’t sway too much in the other direction or it’d become dangerous. Mourinho often set United up on a match by match basis and it was why he was accused of not having any real tactics, philosophy or style at the club. When Solskjaer came in it was clear what he wanted the team to do and it was just a case of making the players do it better to show progression. It was partly why he won the job- for hav...
Manchester City flight redirected ahead of West Ham clash
Manchester City’s flight to London had to be rerouted after a technical issue on the plane meant that they could not land at their scheduled destination. The first-team squad flew to the capital on Friday ahead of City’s lunchtime Premier League clash with West Ham United. But their flight had to redirected from City Airport to London Stansted more than 30 miles away. Goal reports that there was a problem with the plane’s anti-skid system which meant that it could not land at an airport with a short runway. The team suffered a slight delay ahead of travelling to the hotel before Saturday’s clash. It is understood that there was no fault on the part of the airport but the flight would not have needed to be rerouted had it been scheduled to land at a major airport. In 2016, a City team fligh...
‘He will be out for a long time’: Guardiola confirms Fernandinho injury blow
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that midfielder Fernandinho will be out for a long time after picking up an injury against Porto in the Champions League last night. The Brazilian midfielder is a key player for City and his absence will be a major blow for the side. The Premier League giants are already dealing with injuries to Laporte, Mendy, Ake, De Bruyne and Jesus. Fernandinho’s versatility and experience makes him an even bigger miss. The Brazilian has been ever-present for Manchester City since his move to Etihad. He can play as a defensive midfielder as well as a centre back and it will be interesting to see how Guardiola’s side cope with his absence. Fernandinho came on with just six minutes left but he had to off almost immediately with a knock. Guardiola will b...
Micah Richards slams Manchester City defenders after Leicester thrashing
Micah Richards has slammed the Manchester City defence for their performance in their hammering by Leicester, accusing them of being “reactive, rather than proactive”. City’s weaknesses at the back were ruthlessly exposed by the Foxes, who fought back from a goal down to claim a famous 5-2 victory. Jamie Vardy was the star performer, hitting a hat-trick, with further goals from James Maddison and Youri Tielemans sealing the win. It is the first time a team managed by Pep Guardiola has shipped five goals and the first time City have conceded five goals at home in 17 years. It is not, however, the first time the team’s defence has been questioned, with a shaky back line one of the reasons why City failed to mount a sustained defence of their title last season. Richards certainly didn’t hold ...
Manchester City name new captain after Silva departure
Getty Images Fernandinho will be Manchester City’s captain for the 2020-21 season, manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed. David Silva took the armband after the departure of long-serving skipper Vincent Kompany last season before the Spain playmaker opted to call time on his decade-long stay at the Etihad Stadium. It means the responsibility will now be passed to Fernandinho, another stalwart of City’s modern era, after the 35-year-old was voted captain by his team-mates and other members of staff. “He will be good [as a leader], as he always has been since I met him,” Guardiola said of the Brazil international who joined City from Shakhtar Donetsk for £30million in 2013 and is out of contract next June. “It doesn’t matter [whether or not Fernandinho has] the armband, he is always a guy who ...
Champions League now a thorn in Pep Guardiola’s side
With the millions they have invested in top players and with the most respected coach of his generation in charge, Manchester City should be doing much better than going out of the Champions League in the last eight. But after their shock 3-1 defeat by Olympique Lyonnais on Saturday that is exactly what City have done in the last three years. Guardiola was brought into the club, by their Abu Dhabi based owner Sheikh Mansour, after his predecessor as manager, Chilean Manuel Pellegrini had taken the club to the semi-finals of the Champions League, while also winning the Premier League title. And while Guardiola has brought two Premier League titles, smashed records and produced some of the most glorious football the club’s fans have ever seen — European success remains elusive to his team. C...
