Nico Gonzales thrilled to join Man City after deadline-day move

The 23-year-old joins City on a four-and-a-half-year deal that keeps him tied to the Club until 2029.  

A versatile midfielder, Nico becomes City's fourth signing in this window, joining Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Omar Marmoush as new additions to Pep Guardiola's squad.  

Gonzalez's footballing journey began in Barcelona's famed La Masia Academy back in 2013.

He subsequently progressed into the Barca first team, where he went on to make 37 appearances.

A successful season-long loan spell at Valencia followed, before Nico then sealed a permanent move to Porto in 2023.

He has played 68 times for the Portuguese side, scoring nine goals, including the winner in their 1-0 win at Maccabi Tel Aviv in the UEFA Europa League last Thursday evening.

Nico has described the move as 'perfect' and says he can't wait to get started at City.

"This is the perfect opportunity for me at this stage of my career," he said.  

"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 set-up.  

"I know the reputation Pep has and I cannot wait to work with him. In fact, I am honoured he wants me to play in his team.  

"I am truly excited. I just want to meet my teammates, and the staff here and then I want to play in front of the City fans!"

Director of Football Txiki Begiristain added: "Nico is a very talented young midfielder. He is an ideal acquisition for Manchester City.

"It was a difficult transfer to complete because his performances this season have been outstanding and he has been such an important part of what FC Porto are doing. We are really happy we have managed to get this done before the window closed.

"He is ready to help us in the second half of the season as we compete in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Club World Cup."

A tall, physical presence in the middle of the pitch, Gonzalez has forged a reputation at Porto as a player who is equally effective on and off the ball.

The 23-year-old came through the ranks at FC Barcelona and gained his first real senior exposure during the 2021/22 campaign, making 39 appearances in all competitions.

Learning from and playing alongside the likes of Sergio Busquets – one of the finest midfielders of all time - provided the then-20-year-old with vital experience at the top of the game in his solitary full season of first team football in Catalonia.

A season-long loan move to Valencia would follow, and although it was a difficult campaign for Los Ches, Gonzalez once again made himself an indispensable part of the midfield.

A two-month recovery from a metatarsal fracture aside, our new recruit missed just two La Liga fixtures he was eligible for, and Porto would come calling for a permanent move that summer.

Helping his new club to a Portuguese Cup win in his debut season, Gonzalez has since taken his game to new heights, being named Primeira Liga Midfielder of the Month in December having already trebled his best full-season goal tally by the halfway point of 2024/25.

Put simply, Gonzalez is a classic central midfielder; someone capable of driving the team forward with a turn of pace or equally breaking up opposition attacks thanks to an impressive ability to read the play and eat up the ground.

His arrival at City could provide support for the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva – who have shouldered a heavy burden in the absence of Rodri since he got injured in September.

And he'll be hoping to emulate the success of his famous footballing father, Deportivo La Coruna legend Fran.

The left-sided player was part of Deportivo's golden generation who won La Liga in 2000, the Copa Del Rey in 2001/02 and reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in 2003/04.

His career also coincided with that of a certain Pep Guardiola, with the pair facing each other 12 times in La Liga between November 1991 and February 2001.

They were also on the same side on seven occasions for the Spanish national team, totalling 377 minutes including in two games at Euro 2000.

After retirement, he went on to spend a period coaching in our Academy.

All these years on, Nico's footballing journey brings him to the Etihad Stadium, as he looks to continue his rapid upward trajectory in the game.