News broke out of nowhere that Newcastle United were in talks to sign Nico Gonzalez from Manchester City. Obviously, it is quite clear that the Magpies need to strengthen their midfield, having lost both Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali in this summer transfer window.
That being said, it had looked like Newcastle United were looking at a profile very different to that of Gonzalez. They had been heavily linked with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Joao Palhinha in recent weeks. Two players who are both 31 years of age.
In comparison, Gonzalez is someone who has not even touched his prime yet. He is 24 years of age. The Spaniard had joined Man City in a £50 million move, but it did not work out.
So, where do we stand in this saga right now? Is it headed in the right direction? Or could it end after holding talks? Right now, it seems to be pointing towards progressing.
Fabrizio Romano drops update on Nico Gonzalez to Newcastle United situation
While speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano said when talking about Gonzalez, Newcastle United and Manchester City:
“Newcastle United believe that this could be a genuine possibility, a realistic possibility. For Manchester City, the player has never been untouchable because Nico has always been considered as a very good backup, but not as a regular starter at Manchester City. When they invested big money in January 2025 to sign Nico Gonzalez from Porto, they had a feeling that this could be a regular starter, but this was not the case. And so now, in case of good proposal, Newcastle could give him a chance, and the transfer is already approved by the coach, Matthias Jaissle. So Newcastle are trying to add Nico Gonzalez to their squad after Dedic official few days ago.”
That would strengthen hopes that Newcastle United would be able to pull this off. And if they do, it would be viewed as a major coup for sure.
Do not forget that Gonzalez was expected to have a big role at Man City when he was signed. That was the reason the club spent a significant transfer fee in the first place.
Yes, it did not go as well as hoped. But it does show how highly he is regarded. And the puzzle could fall into place at a club like Newcastle United, where he will get the chances that he needs.
What type of player is Nico Gonzalez?
As a player, Gonzalez is a tidy midfielder. He has efficiency with the ball at his feet. When broken down to per 90 numbers, which is fairer considering the amount of football he played, the Spaniard was in the 95th percentile for successful passes and 90th percentile for successful pass percentage.
Another standout attribute is his dribbling. While Gonzalez might not be a volume dribbler, he gets his moments right. He completed 70.6% of his dribbles, which was good enough to put him in the 94th percentile for that category.
On the defensive end, perhaps it is hard for a midfielder to show his best while playing for a team like Manchester City, as they are almost always on the front foot, or used to be under Pep Guardiola.
Overall, this feels like the signing that Newcastle United should be making this summer to rebuild the squad. Let’s see if they can get it over the line or not.
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