Manchester City have completed the signing of Nico Gonzalez from Porto.
The 23-year-old midfielder has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal through to June 2029 with City, who agreed a deal with Porto that will total €60million (£49.9m, $62m).
The Athletic reported earlier on Monday that City were attempting to complete a deadline day move for Gonzalez. The Spaniard is capable of playing in both the No. 6 and No. 8 positions and fits the profile of midfielder City are looking for.
“This is the perfect opportunity for me at this stage of my career,” Gonzalez said upon signing for City. “I am 23 and I want to test myself in England. There’s no better club than Manchester City for me to do that.
“Look at the squad they have here… it’s unbelievable, full of world-class players. There isn’t a footballer in the world who would not want to be part of this setup. I know the reputation Pep has and I cannot wait.”
City had been weighing up a move for a midfielder during the winter window, with Pep Guardiola’s squad short on options following the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury sustained by Rodri in September.
Juventus’s Douglas Luiz was one of multiple options being considered before Gonzalez emerged as City’s primary target.
Gonzalez is a product of Barcelona’s La Masia youth system and made 37 first-team appearances for the Catalan club before spending 2022-23 on loan at Valencia. He then joined Porto in the summer of 2023.
Barca have a 40 per cent sell-on clause as part of the €8.5million deal that saw him sold to Porto.
The midfielder has made 29 appearances in all competitions this season, providing seven goals and six assists.
He is yet to make his senior international level but has been capped up to under-21 level by Spain.
City have had a busy January window, signing centre-backs Vitor Reis, Juma Bah and Abdukodir Khusanov from Palmeiras, Real Valladolid and and Lens respectively, while also adding forward Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt.
What kind of player is Gonzalez?
Analysis by football data writer Thom Harris
Joining Barcelona aged 10, and rising through the ranks under the possession-heavy tutelage of La Masia coaches such as Garcia Pimienta, it won’t be a surprise to hear that Gonzalez is a technically secure midfielder who can control the tempo of games with his passing ability and ball retention in close spaces.
That said, his development on loan at Valencia, and subsequent transfer to Porto, have seen the 22-year-old make use of his height and rangy running style to become a more dynamic box-to-box midfielder.
With six goals and five assists so far this season — already far clear of his previous best attacking return — Gonzalez has made a habit of timing his runs into the box to meet crosses with full momentum.
On the ball, he uses his frame well to bounce from challenge to challenge and drive forward through midfield, and is difficult to shrug off from a defensive point of view. He may not completely solve City’s issues in transition, but with more athleticism and natural power, his profile makes sense for a team struggling to cover the space in the middle.
(Miguel Riopa/AFP via Getty Images)
