Nico Gonzalez has revealed he turned down interest from clubs playing in the Champions League to sign for Newcastle United this summer. The £50million arrival from Manchester City made an instant impact, helping the Magpies secure a 2-0 victory at Tottenham on Saturday night.
The Spain Under-21 star delivered a sumptuous 40-yard pass to play in Amar Dedic, who set up Anthony Elanga for his second goal of the season with an exquisite turn and finish. Gonzalez said he could not resist signing for Matthias Jaissle's side despite other offers.
Gonzalez explains his decision
Speaking after the win in London, Gonzalez said: "Yeah, I had other options. I'm not going to say who I talked to, other coaches and other Champions League teams from away, but this was the best option."
He added: "I try to never have any regrets. If I go to the future and things don't work well I don't have regrets. I think this is the best move for me. They made me feel like they trusted me so much. That's really important for a player."
"I'm 24 so I'm not old. I feel like I need to play every weekend and that's something that at City it's really hard. I felt like here I have my chance and that's key."
Jaissle's influence
Jaissle made a big play for Gonzalez and had no hesitation in naming him in his starting line-up for the German head coach's first victory in the hotseat. The ex-Barcelona youngster has spoken about how much he is enjoying being treated as a key man after his stint with City's superstars.
Gonzalez said: "That was really important. When I talked last week with the coach for the first time he made me feel really important. That's how any player loves to feel."
"He made me feel the project was really exciting, a lot of young and talented players. I think we still have a lot to improve because there's so much quality in the squad."
"I like him a lot because he makes everyone know exactly what they have to do before the game. He focused a lot on the plan for this game and if the plan went well we'd have a good chance of winning, and it worked out exactly as he said."
Departure from Manchester City
Gonzalez was signed by Pep Guardiola in 2025, with the former City chief branding him a "mini Rodri" in his early days. But the arrivals of Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi saw him surplus to requirements.
The 24-year-old said: "I think when I played I played really good and I felt comfortable. The way they play was really good for me and I tried to play good every time."
"Last year I was playing well then I got injured and Rodri came back...then Rodri obviously played really well."
"I talked with them at the start of pre-season and they told me they counted on me, so that's why I wanted to stay, and I'd have a good chance of playing there. The situation changed, they brought some players and maybe even more now, according to rumours."
"So the situation changed. They were sincere, which I really appreciate; they told me what they felt and that the best chance for me was to look for something. I'm really happy it worked out."
