Fernandinho addresses speculation regarding a potential return to Man City in a coaching role.
The former captain emphasised his happiness in Brazil with family, but refused to shut the door.
City prepare for a pivotal title decider against Arsenal on Sunday.
Manchester City legend Fernandinho has responded to rumours suggesting a future return to the Etihad Stadium could be on the cards, albeit in a coaching capacity.
The Brazilian icon, who lifted five Premier League titles and six League Cups during a glittering nine-year stint in Manchester, remains one of the most revered figures in the club’s modern history.
Since his emotional departure in 2022 to return to boyhood club Athletico Paranaense, Fernandinho has continued to display the leadership and tactical intelligence that made him one of Pep Guardiola’s generals on the pitch.
The timing of talk surrounding a potential return to the Etihad Stadium is particularly poignant, with Manchester City currently bracing for another major leadership void following Bernardo Silva’s confirmed departure at the end of the season.
With the squad also managing a significant defensive injury blow to Ruben Dias ahead of Sunday’s title ‘decider against Arsenal, the prospect of bringing back a veteran who understands the club’s serial winner DNA has ignited excitement.
Fernandinho cools immediate coaching talk
And speaking exclusively to MailSport’s Jack Gaughan, Fernandinho was quizzed on rumours suggesting that a return to the Etihad Stadium could come to fruition albeit in a coaching role at some stage in the future.
“Really? Rumours are rumours,” the Brazilian icon said in response to the clains.
“I’m starting to enjoy my life. So not planning coaching yet, not planning to go back to the UK yet. But you never know the future, what can happen,” he continued.
“I’m so happy, living here in Brazil with my family. We’ll see next year, next season, what’s happening.”
Fernandinho’s measured response suggests that while a return is certainly not imminent, the door remains firmly ajar. While Pep Guardiola remains contracted until 2027, the club has recently undergone a coaching staff shake-up, recruiting the likes of Pep Lijnders and Kolo Toure.
Could bigger changes be on the horizon at Man City?
Guardiola himself continues to see his own name at the centre of talk surrounding an exit sooner than perhaps expected, with the belief in various quarters being that the 55-year-old will leave at the end of the ongoing season.
The addition of Fernandinho to such a high-calibre backroom team would be seen as a masterstroke by many, with Hugo Viana increasingly looking to maintain the club’s culture through familiar, authoritative faces.
Looking ahead, Fernandinho’s immediate focus remains on his personal life, but the allure of the Premier League – and perhaps a reunion with Guardiola – is a narrative that will certainly not fade quickly.
As City prepare to host league-leaders Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, sitting six points behind but with a game in hand, the squad is already entering a period of evolution whilst ensuring that success has remained an ever-present with the winning of the Carabao Cup.