Ibrahimovic expects to retire in 2016

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has indicated that he will end his playing career when his Paris Saint-Germain contract expires in 2016.

The Sweden striker joined PSG from Milan in July 2012 and has enjoyed a prolific stint with the French capital club.

Ibrahimovic has fired PSG to two straight Ligue 1 titles, a Coupe de la Ligue crown and two Trophee des Champions successes in his time at the Parc des Princes.

The 32-year-old, who has scored 76 goals for the Parisian giants, has revealed that he expects to hang up his boots after the 2015/16 campaign.

"I have a contract until 2016," Ibrahimovic told ESPN.

"I will be 34 next season and I don't see myself continuing to play at the top level after that. So probably the answer is yes."

Ibrahimovic was one of a number of high profile signings funded by PSG's Qatari ownership group, who took over the club in 2011 with designs on turning the club into a European force.

And the former Barcelona, Juventus and Inter frontman is in no doubt his switch to PSG was the right move for his career.

"It is very special. I was here from the beginning. I wanted to join PSG for the project that I believed in at the time and still believe in," he added.

"I knew it would be a great choice, and so far it has gone exactly like I expected to be. I am very happy and proud.

"I think that to reach the next step, I have to do better than last year. I have reached the level I am at now because I have always wanted to be better than the season before."

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has upheld Luis Suarez's four-month ban from football, but has allowed him to train with Barcelona.

Suarez's punishment - which covered all football-related activity - also now only applies to official matches, meaning the Uruguay star can play in friendlies.

As such, the striker could feature in Barcelona’s non-competitive fixture with Leon at Camp Nou on Monday. 

FIFA suspended Suarez until October 25 after he bit Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup group-stage clash in June.

Suarez was also banned from playing in Uruguay's next nine competitive fixtures following an incident that marked the third time he had bitten an opposition player on the pitch. 

The former Ajax man, who left Liverpool for Barca in a reported €94million (£75m) deal last month, appealed to CAS after seeing his initial pleas to reduce the suspension rejected by FIFA.

Suarez and his representatives have always maintained that the punishment was excessive, and although he cannot represent his new club in competitive action until late October, he can at least now partake in "training, promotional activities and administrative matters".

The 27-year-old can therefore train with his team-mates and be officially unveiled as a Barca player, as well as play in friendlies. 

The first competitive match Suarez could be eligible for is Barca's first El Clasico clash of the season, with their Liga meeting with Real Madrid currently scheduled for the weekend of October 25 and 26

Suarez to start Barca training

Luis Suarez is to begin training with Barcelona on Friday and will be officially presented at Camp Nou ahead of Monday's friendly with Leon.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on Thursday that while Suarez's four-month suspension for biting Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup has been upheld, the striker is now allowed to partake in "training, promotional activities and administrative matters".

As such, Barca - who signed Suarez from Liverpool for a fee thought to be around £75million last month - have confirmed the 27-year-old will join up with his team-mates for the first time on Friday, before then being formally unveiled at Camp Nou next week.

A statement on the Liga giants' official website read: "Following the announcement of the verdict by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding the appeal against the sanction imposed on Luis Suarez by FIFA, FC Barcelona hereby announces that the player will join the first team's training session scheduled for tomorrow Friday in the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.

"Likewise, the public presentation of Suarez as a new FC Barcelona player will be held on Monday at the Camp Nou, on occasion of the Joan Gamper Trophy match [with Leon]."

Suarez could make his competitive debut in Barca's first El Clasico encounter of the season, as they are scheduled to meet Real Madrid on the weekend of October 25 and 26.

Remy would not walk out on us - Redknapp

Harry Redknapp.is confident striker Loic Remy is "too decent" to leave Premier League new boys QPR late in the transfer window.

The France international saw a move to Liverpool fall through last month, having spent the 2013/14 season on loan at Newcastle United..

The collapse of the deal meant Remy had to return to training with Rangers and Redknapp is hopeful that the 27-year-old will remain at Loftus Road.

"We hope he'll stay," he said. "He's a fantastic player and his attitude has been first class, but you never know. I'm not trying to sell him because we don't want to sell him.

"To have lost him for the amount that we were going to would have been too cheap, so to have him back is fantastic.

"When I looked at what he was going to go for, he was a fantastic buy for Liverpool at that price, so their loss is our gain.

"I don't think Loic would leave us late on. He's too decent a guy to walk away in the last week of the transfer window" 

One man who appears destined for the QPR exit door is Adel Taarabt, who Redknapp revealed had not trained during pre-season.

"I don't know what he's going to be doing to be honest," he added. "He's not fit.

"Adel hasn't done one day's training since we got back in pre-season. He just needs to get fit, whether he's here or not.

"I think he's looking to move. If anybody wants to buy him for that money then they have to pay the money.

"We just need a club to come in and pay the money that the chairman is looking for."

Discussing a long list of rumoured transfer targets, Redknapp described a deal for former Swansea City loanee Jonathan de Guzman as "possible", but rubbished reports linking him with a move for Barcelona's Alex Song.

QPR begin their Premier League campaign against Hull City on Saturday.

Hull accept Long offer

Hull City have accepted an offer from Southampton for striker Shane Long, according to manager Steve Bruce.

The Republic of Ireland international, who only arrived at the KC Stadium in January, has emerged as a surprise transfer target for the south-coast club after Southampton's squad was decimated by a host of close-season exits.

Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren have all joined Liverpool, Luke Shaw made a big-money move to Manchester United and Calum Chambers signed for Arsenal.

But new Southampton boss Ronald Koeman appears to have taken a huge step towards landing Long for a reported £12.5million, with Bruce confirming a bid has been accepted.

"We'd not been looking to sell Shane but it's a fantastic offer and we've decided to accept it," Bruce told the Hull Daily Mail.

"The challenge is always to become bigger and better and this money will be put towards strengthening again.

"Whether you are Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, everyone in football has got their price.

"Myself and the owners didn't want to lose Shane but we accept it's a very good offer, especially when you consider what we paid [roughly £6m] in January.

"I've got no issues. Ever since I walked through the door of this club the board have supported me in every possible way and I'm sure that will be the case as we look to reinvest.

"In an ideal world the money would have come a month ago but it's come now and we'll deal with it."

Buckley makes Sunderland move

Sunderland have announced the signing of winger Will Buckley from Brighton and Hove Albion for an undisclosed fee.

The 24-year-old worked under Sunderland head coach Gus Poyet at the Championship club and arrives on Wearside on a three-year contract.

Having started his career at Rochdale, Buckley made 68 appearances for the Lancashire club before making the step up to the Championship to join Watford in January 2010.

Buckley spent a season and a half at Vicarage Road, with Poyet then swooping to take him to Brighton in June 2011.

And Poyet has now signed Buckley, who scored 19 goals in 100 league appearances for the south-coast club, for a second time having also signed Liam Bridcutt from his former club in January.

Jack Rodwell, Costel Pantilimon, Jordi Gomez, Billy Jones, Patrick van Aanholt and Santiago Vergini have also arrived on Wearside ahead of the new season.

Poyet's men begin their Premier League campaign at West Brom on Saturday.

Kelly confirms Palace switch

                                    

Liverpool defender Martin Kelly has confirmed he is moving to Crystal Palace.

The 24-year-old, who came through Liverpool's youth system, had been strongly linked with a move to Selhurst Park in recent days, and could be in contention to play at Arsenal on Saturday.

And although there has been no official confirmation of the transfer from either club as yet, Kelly took to Twitter to thank Liverpool and announce his Anfield departure.

"I would like to thank all the managers at LFC for making my wish from the age of seven come true playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world," he wrote.

"Most of all [I] would like to thank the fans for supporting me since my home debut against Lyon in October 2009 even through injuries always by my side.

"Now to start a new chapter of my football career at Crystal Palace a great club with unbelievable fans excited already for the weekend."

Kelly made 33 Premier League appearances at Liverpool, and also spent a spell on loan at Huddersfield Town in 2009.

Kane to stay at the Lane

Tottenham striker Harry Kane has signed a new five-year deal at White Hart Lane, keeping him at the club until 2019.

The 21-year-old forward appears set to take the next step in his Tottenham career after a bright end to last term.

And Kane is clearly part of new manager Mauricio Pochettino's plans as he penned a fresh long-term deal on Thursday.

A club statement read: "We are delighted to announce that Harry Kane has signed a new contract, committing his future to the club until 2019.

"The young striker, 21, made his first-team breakthrough in the second half of last season, scoring in three successive Premier League matches in April.

"A product of our academy system, Harry, born locally in Walthamstow, signed professional terms in 2010 and made his first-team debut aged just 18 in our Europa League play-off against Hearts in August 2011."

Kane – who has also spent time on loan at Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City – has made 26 appearances for Tottenham in all competitions, scoring five goals.

Long completes Saints switch

Shane Long has completed a switch to Southampton, signing a four-year deal just seven months after leaving West Brom to join Hull City.

The Republic of Ireland striker moved to the KC Stadium in January, for a fee reported to be in the region of £6million.

However, after scoring four goals in 15 league appearances for Steve Bruce's men, Long has been snapped up by a Southampton side eager for reinforcements following the departures of several star names.

While the fee paid for Long has not been disclosed, the south-coast outfit are reported to have parted with £12m for the 27-year-old.

Southampton boss Ronald Koeman expects Long to complement another of his close-season signings, Graziano Pelle.

"Shane is a very good player. As a striker, he's different to Graziano Pelle, which is something we needed," Koeman told Southampton's official website.

"He brings ambition and a great mentality - he's always running and always working, and he's very down-to-earth. He's a great person, and we need that type of player.

"He brings a lot of experience to our squad because he's already played at Premier League level for a few years. He knows what we need at this level, and he can show that to our younger players as well."

Long revealed he had been surprised by initial news of Southampton's interest.

"I'm delighted. This came out of the blue for me but once I'd come and had a look at the training facilities and met the manager, it seemed like the right decision for me and my family," he explained.

"It was a hard decision for me to make, but when you come down to Southampton you see how big a club it is and how well set up it is.

"In theory it's a very good move for me, but all the hard work starts tomorrow when I get on the training pitch because I have to prove my worth."

Earlier on Thursday, Hull boss Steve Bruce acknowledged his club had little option but to sell when offered the chance to make a healthy profit on Long.

Bruce told the Hull Daily Mail: "We'd not been looking to sell Shane but it's a fantastic offer and we've decided to accept it.

"The challenge is always to become bigger and better and this money will be put towards strengthening again.

"Whether you are Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, everyone in football has got their price.

"Myself and the owners didn't want to lose Shane but we accept it's a very good offer, especially when you consider what we paid in January."

Southampton complete Gardos capture

Southampton have confirmed the signing of Romania defender Florin Gardos on a four-year deal.

Gardos has joined the Premier League outfit from Romanian champions Steaua Bucharest for an undisclosed fee, reported to be in the region of £6million.

The 25-year-old claimed finalising his move was a landmark day in his career.

"This is one of the happiest days of my life," Gardos told Southampton's official website.

"It's the biggest step of my career so far. Coming to the Premier League is a very big occasion for me, and Southampton was a team that had a really good last season so this wasn't really a hard decision.

"I've had a very good first impression of the club. I've always said that coming to [the] Premier league would be a dream come true."

Gardos has won 12 caps for Romania and is the club's seventh close-season signing after forward Shane Long moved from Hull City earlier on Thursday.

Southampton manager Ronald Koeman is hoping Gardos can fill the void left by Dejan Lovren, who moved to Liverpool last month.

Koeman said: "I am very happy to have Florin here.

"He's still a young player so he can develop himself a lot more, and that's part of the ambition of Southampton.

"After [Dejan] Lovren left the club, we paid a lot of attention to Florin. For now and for the future, we have a very good central defender."

Aguero signs new City deal

Sergio Aguero has signed a new five-year contract with Manchester City, the Premier League champions have announced.

Aguero's fresh deal is a major coup for City and continues an outstanding week for the club, which also saw captain Vincent Kompany and playmaker David Silva sign five-year extensions.

Samir Nasri and Aleksandar Kolarov are others to have committed their long-term future to City during the close-season, but tying down Aguero will arguably delight the club's supporters most.

The 26-year-old has scored a stunning 75 goals in 122 appearances for City since arriving from Atletico Madrid in a club-record transfer in July 2011, including an unforgettable injury-time strike that saw them claim their first ever Premier League title on the final day of the 2011-12 season.

While Aguero's place in City folklore is assured forever, the Argentina international hopes to create more history in the next five years and wants his new deal to end speculation linking him with a return to Spain.

"The reality seems to be that ever since I came here, during every close season, there have always been rumours suggesting that I might be returning to Spain," Aguero told City's official website.

"There has always been this speculation but I certainly never pay much attention to it.

"People hear this stuff flying around and they take it seriously but I can tell the fans and everyone at City to relax, I'm going to be here until I see out my contract.

"I get to play in front of our amazing supporters ever week, who give me so much strength and hunger to keep helping the team as best as I can.

"Each year, I aim to better the previous one. Last season was incredible but I'm not just satisfied with two Premier League titles, I want more and I can achieve them here alongside my team-mates.

"This club is special: the fans, the stadium, the staff, the atmosphere, the new facility we're moving into – everything!

"We have enjoyed lots of success and some incredible moments but the overall vision for the future and where we are going are the reasons why I wanted to stay here, to win trophies and to keep making history through my best years."

West Ham sign Sakho

West Ham have further bolstered their attacking stocks with the signing of striker Diafra Sakho from Metz.

Sakho arrives at Upton Park from newly promoted Ligue 1 club Metz on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

The 24-year-old Senegal international, who was named the best player in France's second tier last season after scoring 20 goals, is the third striker to join West Ham in the close-season following the captures of Mauro Zarate and Enner Valencia.

Sakho, Zarate and Valencia will be required to fill the void left by the injured Andy Carroll, who is expected to be out until late November after undergoing ankle surgery last month. 

"This is a proud day to have signed for West Ham, I really love English football and I've dreamed of coming to play for one of the big English clubs," Sakho told the club's official website.

"West Ham have given me that opportunity and I didn't hesitate to grab it.

"I'm looking forward to playing. It's more than a month now that I've been training for this and right now I think I'd be ready to pull on the club colours.

"I've come here to continue as I was at Metz. I'm going to give it my all, going flat out on the pitch and I think the fans will appreciate that."

West Ham - who get their Premier League campaign underway at home to Tottenham on Saturday - have also signed Cheikhou Kouyate, Aaron Cresswell, Diego Poyet and Carl Jenkinson on loan in this transfer window.

Mourinho hails bargain buy Costa

Jose Mourinho claims Chelsea's Diego Costa will prove a bargain buy after the Spain striker marked his home debut with a clinical double in the 2-0 friendly win over Real Sociedad.

Mourinho splashed out £32 million ($53 million) to lure Costa from Spanish champions Atletico Madrid and the Blues boss is convinced even that hefty price tag will look cheap by the end of the season.

The 25-year-old certainly looks capable of justifying Mourinho's faith after making a confident bow for his new club at Stamford Bridge.

He took just 57 seconds to open the scoring with a cool finish from an acute angle and bagged his second with a tap-in after Andre Schurrle's shot hit a post in the seventh minute.

As well as his goals, Mourinho was also impressed with the way Costa linked with attacking midfield trio Schurrle, Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas, while working tirelessly to close down Sociedad when they were in possession.

His qualities look ideally suited to the Premier League and Mourinho said: "Diego is a team player, he works a lot, he is not just about goals. He is about defensive work, his mentality, his ambition.

"This is why we didn't buy a striker in the last transfer window - we were waiting for him.

"He looks very adapted to his team-mates and the style of play.

"I won't say he is adapted to the Premier League yet because it is a very difficult job to be a striker in this country, but hopefully he does well.

"You can consider that it is a bargain because the market is crazy.

"The values for strikers are very high, so for a young striker like him, a champion in Spain and a Champions League finalist, you can say the price Chelsea paid is very much in our favour."

After finishing last season without a trophy, Mourinho has carried out an £80 million overhaul of his squad, with Costa, Fabregas and Filipe Luis the headline signings.

The Portuguese coach is delighted with his new acquisitions and, although he refused to bill Chelsea as title favourites, he predicted great things for the club in the long-term.

"I think we bought three players in Filipe, Diego and Fabregas in the best stage for a football player between 25 and 30.

"They are three experienced players with good qualities to improve immediately our team.

"They are ready so normally our team will improve, the squad has improved for sure.

"We showed some qualities today that in the past we didn't.

"No manager has a perfect squad but we like very much our squad, we don't say they are special, but it is a squad that has big possibilities for the next five years."

With Monday's Premier League opener against Burnley fast approaching, Mourinho's only dilemma has been deciding which of Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois will start in goal at Turf Moor.

Belgian youngster Courtois, so impressive on loan at Atletico last season, started against Sociedad and Mourinho says he has chosen his number one for the opening day.

"Courtois played 90 minutes because he was injured and didn't play last week," Mourinho said.

"The decision that he played today is not me saying he is the first choice for Monday.

"I know who will play. The players don't know. They have to know first. I will tell them on Sunday."

Mourinho also revealed that Blues legend Didier Drogba, back from Galatasaray for a second tour of duty at the Bridge, could still recover from his ankle injury in time to feature against Burnley.

"Didier is good, I don't want to say ready for Monday, but with the quality of our medical department and the mentally he has, I'm not saying it is impossible for him to recover for Monday either," he added.

Mourinho: Drogba may be fit for Burnley

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho hailed Diego Costa and claimed Didier Drogba may be fit for the club's Premier League opener on Monday.

Costa struck twice in Chelsea's final pre-season friendly as they won 2-0 over Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, with Mourinho claiming the Spanish striker is ready-made for the Premier League.

But Mourinho sounded a warning for promoted club Burnley ahead of their first game of the Premier League season, claiming Drogba could also be involved on Monday despite having only injured his ankle on Sunday against Ferencvaros.

"He's good," Mourinho said after the win over Sociedad.

"I don't want to say ready for Monday but with the quality of our medical department and the mentality he has, I'm not saying it's impossible for him to recover for Monday."

Drogba has returned to Stamford Bridge to again play under his former mentor after two seasons away from England.

But the Ivorian veteran is still likely to play second fiddle to Costa throughout the campaign with Chelsea's boss indicating the Spaniard looks perfectly suited to his tactics, as well as the football of England's top tier.

Costa signed for Chelsea in July with the London-based club paying a £32million buy-out clause to secure the Brazil-born forward from Atletico Madrid - a price Mourinho still considers a bargain.

"What can we expect? I expect Diego and Diego is a team player who works hard, he's not just about goals," the Portuguese manager said.

"It's about his defensive work, mentality and ambition. This is the player we bought and we were waiting for since last season. This is why we didn't buy a striker in the winter market. We were waiting for him, we have him and hopefully everything goes well.

"He looks adapted to the team, and the Premier League, not just Chelsea, should be happy. Sometimes we lose important players going to other countries and sometimes we bring new top players here.

"You can consider that [a bargain] because the market is crazy and the values are very high. For a striker like him, a champion in Spain, a Champions League finalist, a 25-year-old, we consider the price was very much in our favour."

United fans must be patient - Van Gaal

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal said the club's fans should remain patient, days out from their Premier League opener.

Van Gaal watched on as his side beat Valencia 2-1 in a friendly at Old Trafford on Tuesday - their sixth win from as many matches in pre-season.

Despite the Dutchman's perfect record in charge so far, Van Gaal warned United fans that there was still work to be done as they prepare for their season opener against Swansea City on Saturday.

"Old Trafford was fantastic. I come on the pitch and they are shouting and screaming your name," Van Gaal said.

"It is also a big pressure as they expect a lot and you cannot change everything in three or four weeks.

"The players cannot change either so we have to wait and see and develop and we need time but we have won every game until now and that is fantastic when you see our opponents so we have great confidence for Swansea City."

Van Gaal insisted their performance on Tuesday against La Liga opposition was their worst of the close-season, despite Marouane Fellaini's late winner ensuring their pre-season remained blip-free.

"The main thing is that we have won in spite of playing our worst game. We made a lot of wrong choices, wrong passes and we didn't press too much," the former Netherlands boss said.

"But in spite of that I think Valencia is a very good team, very comfortable on the ball so it is not easy to press but in spite of that we have dominated the game and at the end we are the winner because we are fighting until the last minute and that is also a good signal.

"It is a start. We had four debuts so I am pleased we have won the game against a very good team."

Jagielka wants more from Barkley

Everton captain Phil Jagielka has called on Ross Barkley to build on his breakthrough campaign as part of the Goodison Park first team.

The 20-year-old midfielder scored six goals in 34 Premier League appearances for Roberto Martinez's men last term before heading to the World Cup with England.

And Jagielka wants to see more from Barkley, but insists that Everton will be careful not to place too much pressure on the young star.

"Our biggest challenge to Ross is to make those cameo moments into longer spells," the central defender told the BBC Radio Five Live. "Then he will become a match-winner.

"We also want him to get a few more goals from that advanced midfield role he plays.

"We are setting him small goals but not heaping the pressure on him at such a young age."

Everton begin their Premier League campaign at Leicester City on Saturday.

Toure turns down Trabzonspor move

Kolo Toure has rejected a move to Trabzonspor but said "anything can happen" after vowing to stay at Liverpool for the time being.

The Ivorian defender looked to be on his way out of Anfield after the Turkish club's president, Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu, claimed that a deal had been agreed with the former Manchester City and Arsenal man.

Toure made only 20 Premier League appearances in his first season on Merseyside, but despite realising his opportunities could be limited once again in the new campaign the 33-year-old has rejected the overtures from the Super Lig club.

"Trabzonspor are interested in me, but I am happy to be a Liverpool player - especially as the coach [Brendan Rodgers] reiterated his confidence in me for what I bring to the group," Toure told Sport Ivoire.

"He wants to keep me to help Liverpool cope with all the competitions they are in. It's true that I have to look at all possibilities. If I sense there's a need to leave, then I will see.

"There's a possibility that I may need to drop into a lesser league to earn more playing time, but I am a battler and I have decided to stay at Liverpool. It's true that things can change at any time. For the moment, I repeat, I am at Liverpool and I hope to stay at the club.

"For now, Trabzonspor is a no. But in football, anything can happen.

"I know what to expect, but there will be lots of matches in the Premier League and Champions League, and I know I will have time to prove that I'm still hungry. I know I will not play every game, that's for sure."

Tottenham have secured the signing of full-back DeAndre Yedlin on a four-year contract from Seattle Sounders.

Everton have completed the signing of Ghana international Christian Atsu on a season-long loan from Chelsea.

After featuring in the World Cup with his country, Atsu becomes the fourth arrival at Goodison Park during the transfer window, after Gareth Barry, Muhamed Besic and Romelu Lukaku.

Boss Roberto Martinez had previously said that the 22-year-old's capture was due to be confirmed on Thursday, but a club announcement on Wednesday revealed a deal for the former Vitesse and Porto man.

"I'm very happy to be joining Everton because it's a great club, which likes to play football, and it's a great pleasure to be here," Atsu told the club’s official website.

"Playing in the Premier League has always been a dream for me and I have achieved that dream.

"This is the biggest level for me to play at. I know that it's a very competitive league and I believe with hard work we're going to be successful this season."

Martinez, meanwhile, believes Atsu's quality will capture the imagination of the Everton faithful.

"He's a player who fits in with the culture and the way we want to play," he said. "He's a very gifted technical footballer and he's got the right personality and character to fit in with the group, which is vital.

"He will excite fans because he brings something completely different and a different way of playing to what we've got in the squad.

"He's a left-footed player who loves taking people on and he's got a really good understanding of the game for such a young man.

"He also brings extra competition in a position in which we felt we needed a player full of desire and hunger, who really wants to make things happen in the final third of the pitch.

"For Christian, at 22, to already have played in a World Cup, to have been able to adapt into Portuguese football and into the league in Holland is a really good accumulation of experiences that will be very beneficial, especially with us playing in the Europa League this season."

Kompany signs new City deal

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has become the latest member of the Barclays PremierLeague-winning squad to commit his future to the club with a new long-term deal.

A day after David Silva extended his stay, and following on from Samir Nasri and Aleksandar Kolarov, the 28-year-old Kompany signed a five-year contract.

Should he see it through to its conclusion, Kompany will have been with the club for 11 years.

"When I arrived in 2008, I could never have dreamed that we could achieve what we have over the last six years but, for me, this is just the start of the journey," Kompany said on the club's website.

"This team is stronger now than it's ever been; we have competition for places in every position and a dressing room full of exceptional, motivated people who want to continue making history together.

"Lifting two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the Capital One Cup have been four of the best days of my life but I believe that there are many more of these occasions ahead.

"There are so many new landmarks and records to chase and I hope signing this new contract is taken as a statement of intent that I want to keep fighting for trophies for this special club."

"We have a common goal and so much to look forward to - a family of clubs, the opening of City Football Academy, exciting players coming through our youth system - why would I go anywhere else?"

The Belgium international joined City from Hamburg as a 22-year-old in 2008, ahead of the club's takeover by Sheikh Mansour, and once he had established himself as a central defender rather than midfield option, he quickly emerged as a leading player in a side which has been transformed in the years since.

He was appointed City captain in the summer of 2011, and helped the club to the Premier League title in his first full season wearing the armband - his memorable headed goal in the 1-0 win over rivals Manchester United proving one of the pivotal moments of a dramatic run-in.

Kompany has made more than 240 appearances for City in all competitions.