Manchester City have agreed to sign Porto midfielder Nico Gonzalez for €60 million. The club will pay the full amount but in a structured way instead of an upfront payment. The 23-year-old Spanish midfielder will travel to England for his medical and contract signing soon.
Nico Gonzalez has performed well at Porto, scoring and assisting 13 times in 29 games this season. He can play as a defensive midfielder or a box-to-box player, making him a good fit for Pep Guardiola’s system.
Barcelona Will Earn from the Nico Gonzalez deal
Barcelona will benefit from this transfer due to a 40% sell-on clause. When they sold Nico Gonzalez to Porto in 2023 for €8.44 million, they kept a share of future sales. This deal will bring Barcelona around €24 million. It will be Porto’s most expensive sale in recent years, after Ousmane Dembélé’s €50 million transfer to PSG in 2022.
Despite the money, Barcelona are not expected to make new signings before the transfer window closes. Sporting Director Deco had planned to strengthen the attack, but key targets like Marcus Rashford and Mathys Tel have already moved elsewhere.
Guardiola Adds Midfield Depth
Rodri Hernández has missed several games due to injury, which affected City’s midfield stability. While Rodri is set to return for the Champions League knockout stages, Guardiola wanted extra depth in that position. González’s arrival will provide another strong midfield option.
Fabrizio Romano confirmed that González has been cleared for his medical. Once completed, he will officially join City. He will be one of several signings this winter, alongside Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis, and Abdukodir Khusanov.
Despite ongoing Financial Fair Play investigations, City continue to invest in their squad. González’s signing strengthens their midfield as they push for success in multiple competitions.