One down, one to go
Jeremy Doku has signed on the dotted line until 2031, which is all well and good. But if City's recruitment team are in the business of rewarding players who have quietly become indispensable, they know where to look next.
Matheus Nunes' current deal runs out in 2028. That gives the club a couple of years of breathing room, but no one should mistake that for a reason to dawdle.
A midfielder who found a home at full-back
The 27-year-old arrived from Wolves in a big-money move in 2023, billed as a midfielder. Somewhere along the way, he decided the right-back spot was his. It is a transformation that has made him one of the more valuable pieces in Enzo Maresca's squad, even if the headline writers rarely mention his name.
Martin Keown once called him 'quite outstanding'. Given what Nunes has produced since, it is hard to argue.
The numbers stack up
The attacking output is there for all to see. In 2024-25, Nunes registered four goals and ten assists. Last term, the assists dropped to eight and the goals to one, but the underlying numbers tell a fuller story.
He started 32 of City's 38 Premier League matches and added five more starts in the Champions League. Among players in his position, he ranked in the top 93rd percentile for assists and the 83rd for chances created.
Defensively, he was just as busy. Nunes made 5.31 recoveries per 90 and 6.13 defensive contributions per 90, sitting in the 75th and 76th percentiles for tackles and interceptions respectively.
Those are not the numbers of a stopgap or a squad filler. They are the numbers of a player who has made a position his own through sheer consistency.
Doku's new deal sets a sensible precedent. City would be wise to follow it with Nunes before someone else starts asking questions.