Bayern Munich has agreed to extend Rafinha’s contract with the Bundesliga side for a further year, keeping him at the club until June 2018.

The 31-year-old’s current contract was set to expire at the end of the 2016-17 season but the Bundesliga side has exercised the option to extend the right back’s contract by a further year.

Bayern AG chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has reserved special praise for the midfielder by insisting the he is an important asset to the club.

‘Rafinha is important to us out on the field of play, but he is also much loved in the dressing room,’ Rummenigge told the Bayern website.

Rafinha says that he is delighted to have committed his future to the German side, while also insisting that he would like to win more silverware with the club.

‘I’m very pleased about the contract extension. I’ve been here for almost six years. FC Bayern is like a second family to me and it’s one of the best clubs in the world,’ Rafinha.

‘I want to win as many more trophies with FC Bayern as possible.’

The right-back joined Bayern back in July 2011 and has since scored four goals in 186 competitive appearances in all competitions.

Image: Bayern website