Manchester City have announced Nicolas Otamendi has signed a new two-year contract extension keeping him at the club until June 2022.
Otamendi has been a real success story for City this season and has benefitted immensely from Pep Guardiola’s influence at the club.
It didn't seem like the Argentina international had a long-term future at the club after Guardiola’s first season at the Etihad but he has largely been immense this term.
Despite still wanting to sign another centre-back, City have rewarded Otamendi for his improved performances with a new contract.
“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 told the club’s official website.
“My only aim is to help the team and given 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.
“I’m a family man who enjoys being at home and I love living in Manchester, you sort of get hooked by it. It’s a very beautiful city and I’m very happy here.”
It’s unfortunate that an announcement on Otamendi’s new deal comes just days after turning in his worst performance of the season in City’s 4-3 defeat to Liverpool.
The 29-year-old has not only improved his defending, but also proven a real threat in the opposition’s penalty area. In fact, only Marcos Alonso (6) has scored more Premier League goals than Otamendi (4) of all defenders this season.
Not only that, but the former Valencia defender is the only player in Europe’s top five leagues to have attempted at least 2000 passes thus far (2033).
