Manchester: Nicolas Otamendi has signed a two-year contract extension with Manchester City as the Premier League leaders step up their efforts to secure the long-term futures of key players.
The Argentina centre half, who has made huge strides over the past year under Pep Guardiola after a difficult transition to English football, had 18 months left on his old deal but has now committed his future until June 2022. Otamendi’s deal follows a one-year contract extension that David Silva signed at the end of November that ties the Spain midfielder to City until June 2020. Other new contracts are in the offing.
Kevin De Bruyne is close to signing a six-year contract worth more than pounds 16 million annually, and fellow midfielder Fernandinho is also on the verge of a contract extension. The Brazilian’s deal expires at the end of this season. Similarly, Gabriel Jesus’s representatives are in advanced talks over a new contract.
Deals are also in the pipeline for forwards Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane, and Ederson could get a pay hike in the summer after the goalkeeper joined on relatively low wages from Benfica last June.
Otamendi, 29, said he was delighted to extend his stay at City. “I’ve enjoyed my time at City since the first day I arrived and I’m really happy to have extended my stay here by a couple more years,” he said. “My only aim is to help the team and give all I can for this club. I am learning every day under Pep and enjoying my football and I feel I can still improve as a player.”
Guardiola had described Otamendi as City’s “Superman” earlier in the season. “Without Nico we wouldn’t have done what we’d done,” he said. “He’s been amazing. Even with pain, in the ankle and knee, he always fights.
“What I admire the most is the fact that maybe something is not his strength but he tries and he does it. It’s not easy to play 40 metres in front. It’s so demanding.”
Otamendi and John Stones are firmly established as City’s first choice centre-halves but with Vincent Kompany perennially injured and the club willing to sell Eliaquim Mangala, Guardiola remains determined to bolster his defence. City have been in talks with West Bromwich Albion over Jonny Evans. Inigo Martinez, the Real Sociedad centre-back who has a 28 million pounds release clause, is also on the radar.
