Manchester, Feb 4 (IANS) In a late deadline day signing, struggling English Premier League champions Manchester City completed the signing of Portuguese star Nico Gonzalez from Porto, the 23-year-old joining the club on a four-and-a-half-year deal that keeps him tied until 2029.
A versatile midfielder, Gonzalez becomes City’s fourth signing in the January window, joining Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, and Omar Marmoush as new additions to Pep Guardiola’s squad, the club informed in a statement on its official website.
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 Gonzalez 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.
Gonzalez 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.
He further said, “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!”
Manchester City’s 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.”
Manchester City are currently placed fifth in the English Premier League standings with 41 points from 24 games.
–IANS
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