Transfer fee, contract length, first reactions, shirt number: Manchester City sign Nico Gonzalez from FC Porto | OneFootball

Manchester City have officially announced the signing of Spanish midfielder, Nico Gonzalez from FC Porto.

The Premier League champions have spent the final two weeks of the January transfer window intensifying their hunt for a new central midfielder having lost Rodri for the most-part of the campaign due to a serious knee injury.

The likes of Juventus’ Douglas Luiz and Atalanta’s Éderson had been touted as possible solutions for City officials, but neither player was deemed viable at the terms desired by Etihad Stadium bosses.

As such, Manchester City turned attentions to FC Porto’s Gonzalez over the course of the last few days, believing that a deal could be done at the price desired and satisfying a number of parties involved in the agreement.

While Manchester City had no intention of activating the player’s €60 million release clause in his Porto contract, they appear to have appeased their Portuguese colleagues through a structured move that will see a significant fee broken down into payment stages.

As for discussions on the side of the midfielder himself, it appears as though there have been little to no hiccups throughout the process, and Nico Gonzalez had shown a clear desire to make a transfer happen in the final days of the market.

Gonzalez was born in A Coruña, Galicia before starting his rise in football with local side Montañeros at the age of seven. By 2013, the young talent had agreed on a move to Barcelona and made his senior debut for their reserves in May 2019 aged 17.

In 2021, the Spaniard signed on a new contract until 2024 containing a buyout clause worth €500 million and went on to make his senior first-team debut for Barcelona in La Liga competition on 15 August replacing Sergio Busquets against Real Sociedad.

For the 2022/23 season, the decision was made to send Gonzalez out on loan but remain within the Spanish top-flight, as he not only completed a temporary move to Valencia but also extended his Barcelona contract until the summer of 2026.

But by July 2023, Gonzalez had already left the Camp Nou club on a permanent agreement as Portuguese giants Porto signed the midfielder on a five-year contract in a deal worth a reported €8.5 million fee with Barcelona retaining a buy-back on the deal.

Since joining Porto, Nico Gonzalez has won two pieces of silverware in the Taça de Portugal as well as Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, while in December 2024 he was awarded Primeira Liga Midfielder of the Month.

The young midfielder will leave FC Porto and make the move into Premier League football having registered a total of 68 appearances with the Dragons scoring nine goals and providing nine assists in the process.

After Pep Guardiola’s side confirmed their fourth, and likely final, addition of the January transfer window, here is everything you need to know about the arrival of Nico Gonzalez to Premier League champions Manchester City!

What are the terms of Nico Gonzalez’s transfer from FC Porto to Manchester City?

Manchester City and FC Porto have reached an agreement over the transfer of Nico Gonzalez in a deal worth €60 million although paid for in stages, with the player’s release clause worth the same amount.

The 23-year-old has penned a four-and-a-half year contract with the Premier League champions which will keep him in Sky Blue until the end of the 2028/29 campaign.

Having joined Porto in the summer of 2023 from FC Barcelona, the La Liga side also included a 40 per cent sell-on clause in the agreement that saw the player make the switch to Portuguese football in an €8.5 million deal.

Jorge Mendes’ agency GesiFute will also receive 10 per cent of the agreed fee, according to reports.

What has Nico Gonzalez said upon signing for Manchester City?

Speaking to Manchester City’s official club website, Gonzalez said, “This is the perfect opportunity for me at this stage of my career. 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!”

What has Txiki Begiristain said about the signing of Nico Gonzalez?

Reacting to Manchester City’s fourth big-money signing of the January transfer window, Begiristain told the club’s official website, “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.”

What shirt number has Nico Gonzalez selected at Manchester City?

Nico Gonzalez has opted to take Manchester City’s number 14 shirt, succeeding the likes of former Etihad Stadium centre-back Aymeric Laporte in that particular jersey, as well as the club’s former Spanish defensive midfielder, Javi Garcia.

Are there any clauses included in Nico Gonzalez’s Manchester City contract?

At present, there are currently no details around the contract signed by Gonzalez at Manchester City and what sort of bonuses he could earn for his former club in Portugal.

When could Nico Gonzalez make his Manchester City debut?

The central midfielder could make his Manchester City debut as soon as Saturday lunchtime when Pep Guardiola’s side are due to travel south to take on Leyton Orient in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Gonzalez will also likely be available for Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League next week as they welcome Real Madrid to the Etihad Stadium in the first-leg of a mouthwatering last-16 play-off tie between the two sides.