Manchester City chiefs are prepared to offer midfielder Fernandinho a new 12-month contract to extend his stay at the Etihad Stadium.
The 34-year-old's current deal expires at the end of the season and, after City shattered their transfer record to sign Rodri during the summer, it initially looked as though Fernandinho's time at the club could be coming to an end.
However, according to The Sun, City are eager to tie him down to a new 12-month deal after being impressed by the way in which he has stepped up to fill the leadership void left by Vincent Kompany's departure.
Manager Pep Guardiola sees him as a vital part of the club, both on the pitch and in the dressing room, so City chiefs will sit down with Fernandinho after the festive period to try thrash out a new deal.
The Brazilian is believed to be eager to remain with City for a little while longer, as he enjoys life in Manchester and his young family are settled in the area.
He will likely have to accept a reduction to his current £120,000-a-week wages, but that is not thought to be a problem for Fernandinho.
Since joining from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013, Fernandinho has been a key part of City's side, and his importance to the team has only grown since Guardiola's arrival in 2016.
He has been the anchor at the base of City's midfield, allowing the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and David Silva to work their magic in attack.
His defensive awareness has even seen him fill in at centre-back, just as he has done for the majority of this season so far to cope with the injuries to both Aymeric Laporte and John Stones. That shift of position has allowed Rodri to come into the team, but it appears as though the Spaniard will have some competition for at least one more year.
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Source : 90min