Manchester City have reportedly completed the signing of young Porto midfielder Nico Gonzalez, find out more about him, his family, father and position
Gonzalez is the fourth addition to Pep Guardiola’s squad, following the signing of Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Vitor Reis.
Who is Man City’s Nico Gonzalez, bio, age, height, family, father, position, style of play, stats and sell on clause
Barcelona did hold a 40% sell-on clause for Nico, meaning they were expecting to receive around €24m from the deal but Porto have since announced there’s been a few changes to the deal which means Barcelona will get far less than expected.
“FC Porto also informs that it has exercised in advance the option to purchase from Football Club Barcelona (“FC Barcelona”) 20% of the capital gains on the transfer of the player, worth €3M (three million euros), retaining FC Barcelona’s right to only 20% of the capital gains on the transfer, also cancelling the buy-back option that FC Barcelona had on the player worth €30M (thirty million euros), exercisable until June 30, 2025.”
This means Barca will instead receive around €13m from the deal which has seen Nico sign a six-year contract with Pep Guardiola’s side.
Welcome, Nico! 🩵 pic.twitter.com/dvHbM9XIXE
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 3, 2025
Pep Guardiola was keen on signing the young midfielder before the end of the transfer window as a backup for Rodri.
Manchester City complete Nico Gonzalez signing
Manchester City have finalized the signing of young Spanish midfielder Nico Gonzalez on the final day of the transfer window. The Sky Blues have been busy this winter transfer window, spending a total of around £180 million, which is almost the same as all the other Premier League clubs combined.
City have already signed three other players this season, including Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Vitor Reis. Omar Marmoush arrived on a £59 million fee from Eintracht Frankfurt, making him the most expensive purchase out of all.
Nico Gonzalez bio
Nicolas Gonzalez Iglesias, or Nico, is a Spanish professional footballer who was born on January 3, 2002, in A Coruña, Spain. He currently plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City. Nico is the son of former Spanish footballer and Deportivo La Coruña legend Fran González. He is also the nephew of José Ramón, another former Deportivo La Coruña star.
Age and height
Nico Gonzalez is currently 23 years old and stands at a height of 1.88 m.
Career and contract details
Nico Gonzalez started out his football journey at the young age of seven, playing for local team Montañeros. He then joined the Barcelona academy in December 2012. After training in their academy, he made his professional debut for the reserves on May 19, 2019. He made his debut at the young age of 17, coming on as a replacement for Kike Saverio during a 2-1 Segunda División B away defeat against Castellón.
Nico then started out playing frequently for the B team in November 2020 and signed a new contract the following year. The new contract ran until 2024 and included a €500 million release clause. Gonzalez officially made his professional and La Liga debut on August 15, during the opening match of the 2021/22 La Liga season.
He came on as a replacement for Sergio Busquets during their 4-2 victory over Real Sociedad. That same season, Nico signed a contract extension running until 2026 before going out on a season-long loan to Valencia. After completing his loan, Primeira Liga team Porto bought the midfielder for €8.5 million on a five-year deal. Following his success at Porto, Gonzalez now joins Manchester City on a four-and-a-half-year deal for a fee of €60 million.
Nico Gonzalez style of play
According to reports, the young midfielder can play a variety of roles in the middle area of the field. The versatile midfielder can play as an attacking midfielder, central midfielder, or defensive midfielder. He even played as a right-back during a game due to his injuries.
During his time as a youth, his rapid growth caused significant physical changes, which made it challenging for other players to adapt to his style of play. This seemingly caused him to become a complete defensive midfielder. Aside from that, Nico has outstanding passing skills and excellent vision, coupled with his defense-piercing passes.
Nico Gonzalez pic.twitter.com/FnscmSVXSv
— The Pep (@GuardiolaTweets) February 3, 2025
Nico Gonzalez at Manchester City
So far this season, Manchester City have suffered due to Rodri’s absence and with no significant backup. As such, Pep was eager to secure a suitable backup for the Spaniard. Nico Gonzalez, who has already scored eight goals for Porto in the league this season, arrives to fit that role. The youngster is a good all-around midfielder who will serve as a valuable member of the Manchester City team.
The 23-year-old Spaniard began his career with Barcelona in 2019 and joined Porto in July 2023. Gonzalez scored nine goals and laid on nine assists in 68 appearances for Porto and won the Portuguese Cup last season.