Newcastle United are closing in on a move to sign Manchester City midfielder Nico Gonzalez as their seventh senior signing of the summer transfer window.
After the exits of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali in midfield this summer, Newcastle want to add some Premier League experience in the middle of the park alongside their current midfield options. Lewis Miley, 20, and 18-year-old Sean Steur started in the Magpies' 2-2 draw with Liverpool on Sunday while Jacob Ramsey and 20-year-old Aladji Bamba came off the bench.
Who is Nico Gonzalez?
Gonzalez, 24, will arrive with plenty of excitement having come through Barcelona's academy before excelling in Portugal with FC Porto. The Spaniard joined City in February last year after Pep Guardiola pushed through a move before the summer window and he dubbed Gonzalez a 'mini Rodri'.
He has made 59 appearances for City in that time, scoring four goals - including a screamer in their FA Cup semi-final win over Southampton last term, and has had varying levels of success at the Etihad Stadium.
What type of player is Gonzalez?
Gonzalez has ranged from being the club's most important midfielder to being completely left out of matchday squads. Since Enzo Maresca has taken over, and with the signing of Elliot Anderson and protracted moves for Ayyoub Bouaddi and Enzo Fernandez, he has fallen down the pecking order.
So are Newcastle getting a top class midfielder or a Manchester City cast-off? Chronicle Live spoke to the Manchester Evening News' Manchester City reporter Simon Bajkowski to get the lowdown on Gonzalez ahead of his potential move to Tyneside.
"He's a tenacious midfielder with an eye for a pass who will give everything for the team. He played and played and played during the most difficult part of the season for City last season, until his body gave up on him, and he did it because Pep Guardiola and the team needed him," Bajkowski said.
"He never really settled on a best position, filling in for Rodri when he arrived even though it wasn't seen as his best position but then never really getting a run as anything but a No 6."
"He is exactly what you would expect from a player who was brought through in La Masia and then went to play for Sergio Conceicao's Porto, mixing control on the ball with a bite out of possession. But he ultimately never convinced enough on either front at City," he added.
How has he fared at City?
City fought hard to sign Gonzalez last year. "Not to take anything away from the signing but they were in desperate need of a midfielder with Rodri ruled out for the season and other options to fill that spot falling by the wayside," Bajkowski said.
"Gonzalez was seen as somebody who could take on that role and had Guardiola raving after just one game that he was a mini-Rodri, only for him to fall out of favour after a few months. Last season he was the most important player for about a third of the campaign but then completely disappeared again."
Assessing his 18 months at City, Bajkowski said: "Really weird. It has been a strange time at City anyway with so much change at the club but Gonzalez is probably the strangest. For nearly half a season he was the most important player yet months later he wasn't even making the matchday squads."
"Out of all the departures this summer as well, he is the only one that didn't really want to leave. He was happy enough on the pre-season tour and said he'd be happy to stay even as a squad player and contribute to whatever success he could at the Etihad."
"But it has been made clear to him that he is better off leaving. That must tell you that City simply don't think he has what they need, but it is probably the exit that fans are most conflicted over because he has only ever given everything he has got and has looked good for large chunks."
Will he succeed at Newcastle?
"He definitely can be. The stats will say he is among the best in the league in some important metrics for a midfielder and he has the attitude to keep improving," Bajkowski said.
"He is only pretty young still as well, it should not be forgotten. Obviously Newcastle have had a big summer of change as well though so it may not be the best environment for him to be thrown straight into."
"There will be lots of City fans hoping he does well because he has served the club well in his short time in Manchester."
