Aguero set to extend Etihad stay
MANCHESTER CITY will confirm Sergio Aguero has signed a new contract before the start of the season and are ready to reward Fernandinho with an improved deal.
Aguero is tied to the club until 2019 but it is understood that an extension was agreed in principle in January.
The 28- year- old Argentina striker, who scored the first goal of the Pep Guardiola era against Borussia Dortmund in Shenzhen, has said that he wants to return to old club Independiente at the end of his career.
But he has become an iconic figure at the Etihad since a £38million move from Atletico Madrid in 2011, and City want to keep him for as long as possible while he remains one of the world’s top strikers.
They also plan to sit down with Fernandinho’s representatives to discuss a new contract after he emerged as one of theirr best performers last seasonson and was then identifiedd as a key player byy Guardiola.
Fernandinho, 31, still has two years left on the five-year deal he signed in 2013 following a £ 30m move from Shakhtar Donetsk, butt City want to extendnd his contract.
Singling out the Brazil midfielder as someone who could easily play in central defence, Guardiola said: ‘I think Fernandinho can play in 10 different positions, because he has the quality to play wherever.
‘ He can play in defence, he is quick, aggressive, intelligent and strong in the air. He has the quality to create good build-up play and can play a forward pass.’ City landed back in England yesterday following their tour of China and will set about tying up a number of transfers before the start of the new Premier League season in two weeks’ time. On top of their pursuit of John Stones, City are haggling over a price for Leroy Sane with BunBundesliga outfit Schalke whwho have rejected a £35m ooffer and are holding out ffor closer to £41.5m for tthe 20- year- old Germmany winger. Having already signed Ilkay GGundogan, Nolito, Olekksandr Zinchenko, GGeronimo Rulli, and Marloslos Moreno, City’s summer spendingspen is already expected to go bebeyond the £150m mark again if they can add Palmeiras forward Gabriel Jesus for up to £26m. A number of players are expected to leave the Etihad before the end of the transfer window, too, with Aleksandar Kolarov, Pablo Zabaleta, Eliaquim Mangala, Wilfried Bony, Samir Nasri and Jason Denayer among the most likely candidates to be moved on.