Nathan Ake is hoping to see Pep Guardiola sign a new contract at Manchester City, with the Dutch defender admitting that the presence of the Catalan coach at the Etihad Stadium is one of the main reasons why he joined the club.
The Netherlands international had various options to consider during the summer transfer window.
Having suffered relegation out of the Premier League with Bournemouth, he was never going to stick around for a Championship promotion push with the Cherries.
Various landing spots were mooted for Ake, including the other side of a Manchester divide at Old Trafford, but City won the race for his signature when putting a £40 million ($53m) agreement in place.
The versatile 25-year-old believes he is already benefitting from working under the guidance of Guardiola and is looking for the former Barcelona boss to extend his spell with the Blues beyond 2021.
Ake told reporters: “I think the manager has been so good for this club. That's also one of the reasons I joined, so it will be good [if he signs an extension].
“Obviously it's up to him. We focus on this season and he's trying to win titles. So we focus on that first and who knows what comes after.
“I've seen already how he works with the players, how he works with me. He shows me stuff I can improve on.
“I feel like I'm learning. One of the reasons I came here was to work under him and I see myself improving already. Hopefully there's more to come.”
Guardiola has remained coy on his future plans, as his current deal runs down, but he is looking to chase down more major honours in 2020-21.
Ake intends to play a leading role in those trophy quests, with it possible that he could make his first Champions League appearance for the Blues in a clash with Olympiakos on Tuesday.
“Anyone who plays football wants to play in the Champions League,” said Ake. “It's the biggest competition. To play on these nights is perfect.
“The difference [between Bournemouth and City] is in the expectations. You have to win trophies, win titles, you play in big games and you have the Champions League.
“That's the difference and it's a good step up for me to learn from one of the best managers in the world.
“I knew it was going to be different. Everyone knows there's a difference between the clubs in size and expectations, so it didn’t surprise me.”