MANCHESTER City signed Spanish midfielder Nico Gonzalez from Primeira Liga side Porto on a four-and-a-half-year contract, the Premier League club announced on Monday.
City’s season arguably never recovered from the moment they lost Ballon d’Or winner Rodri to a anterior cruciate ligament injury in September.
Gonzalez arrives from Porto in a £50 million (R1.1 billion) deal to provide cover for his Spanish compatriot and more bite to City's midfield ahead of a blockbuster Champions League tie against Real Madrid this month.
A product of the Barcelona youth academy, Gonzalez made 37 appearances for the La Liga giants before moving to Porto in 2023. He played 68 times for Porto, scoring nine goals and assists each. He was also an under-21 international.
Gonzalez says: “This is the perfect opportunity for me at this stage of my career.
“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.”
City Director of Football Txiki Begiristain says in a club statement: “It was a difficult transfer to complete because his performances have been outstanding, and he has been such an important part of what FC Porto are doing this season.
“We are really happy we have managed to get this done before the window closed.”
Pep Guardiola’s manne find themselves in a battle just to qualify for next season’s Champions League, with the defending champions sitting fifth in the Premier League, 15 points behind leaders Liverpool.
Guardiola has admitted his span of seasoned winners have grown old together and there was a focus on youth to bring some energy back into their play.
City have already splashed out more than £120m (R2.8bn) in January on Egypt forward Omar Marmoush and young defenders Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov.
Marmoush, who scored 20 goals for Eintracht Frankfurt this season, provides a much-needed goal threat to lessen the load on Erling Haaland.
Khusanov endured a nightmare debut against Chelsea last month but the 20-year-old Uzbek and Brazilian defender Vitor Reis have been bought with one eye on the future.
JANUARY PREMIER LEAGUE TRANSFERS:
Nico Gonzalez (Porto to Man City, £50m)
Marcus Rashford (Man Utd to Villa, on loan)
Mathys Tel (Bayern Munich to Spurs, on loan)
Omar Marmoush (Frankfurt to Man City, £59m)
Vitor Reis (Palmeiras to Man City, £29.6m)
Patrick Dorgu (Lecce to Man Utd, £25.2m)
Romain Esse (Millwall to Palace, £14m)
Donyell Malen (Dortmund to Villa, £20m)
Antonin Kinsky (Slavia Prague to Spurs, £12.5m)
Emmanuel Agbadou (Reims to Wolves, £16.6m)
Abdukodir Khusanov (Lens to Man City, £33.8m)
Ayden Heaven (Arsenal to Man Utd £1m)
Kevin Danso (Lens to Spurs, £20.9m)
Stefanos Tzimas (Nurnberg to Brighton £22m)
Evan Ferguson (Brighton to West Ham, on loan)
Caleb Wiley (Chelsea to Watford, on loan)
Marco Asensio (PSG to Villa, on loan)
Nasser Djiga (Red Star Belgrade to Wolves £10m)
Carlos Alcaraz (Flamengo to Everton, on loan)
Axel Disasi (Chelsea to Villa, on loan)
Jaden Philogene (Villa to Ipswich £20m)
Ben Chilwell (Chelsea to Palace, on loan)