• Midfielder is now under contract at the Etihad until 2023 • I’m really excited about what we can achieve in coming years’

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has signed a new five-year deal, the Premier League leaders have announced. The Belgian, who joined City from the German club Wolfsburg in 2015, is now under contract until 2023.

“I am really happy to have signed this new deal,” De Bruyne told the club’s website.

The 26-year-old has been in sensational form this season, contributing 10 assists and six goals in the Premier League to help City open up a 12-point gap at the top of the table.

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Having previously experienced an unsuccessful spell in England with Chelsea, De Bruyne has firmly established himself as a regular under Pep Guardiola and has scored 31 times in 122 appearances for City so far. “As I’ve said previously, my intention has always been to stay here at City, where I’ve felt at home from day one,” De Bruyne said.

“Not only are we winning – we are playing great football. It’s a pleasure to be a part of and I’m really excited about what we can achieve in the coming years.”

News of De Bruyne’s contract extension was announced at almost exactly the same time that Manchester United confirmed they had signed Arsenal’s Alexis Sánchez, who had been a target for Guardiola’s side.