Manchester City reach agreement on midfield target and now trigger Nico Gonzalez departure

Earlier this week we all found out that Newcastle United were in talks to sign Nico Gonzalez from Manchester City.

Then on Saturday it was reported that Manchester City had told Nico Gonzalez that he can leave.

Craig Hope at The Mail saying that his information was that Man City are happy to sell the 24-year-old to Newcastle United but that some of the midfielder’s club teammates are trying to persuade him to stay.

Manchester City understood to have been keeping hold of Nico Gonzalez until they had at least one of their midfield targets over the line.

On Sunday, BBC Sport have now revealed that Man City have indeed landed one of their key targets.

They report: ‘Manchester City have agreed a deal in principle worth 100m euros (£85.6m) to sign 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi…An agreement for the teenager to join Enzo Maresca’s side is now in place, with Bouaddi now set to complete his protracted move to England with Lille accepting an initial fee of £81.4m, plus £4.2m in add-ons.’

Rodri and Tijjani Reinders have already left this summer and now Nico Gonzalez will leave as well in this huge Man City midfield revamp. With Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez also potentially to come in as well as Bouaddi.

The talk of his teammates potentially persuading Nico Gonzalez to stay is surely laughable. Manchester City playing at home to Bournemouth on Sunday (and losing 1-0 at half-time!), yet Enzo Maresca choosing to play defender Guehi in central midfield rather than Gonzalez!

Nico Gonzalez signed for Man City 18 months ago and started nine of their final 14 Premier League matches that 2024/25 season.

Last season the midfielder made 25 Premier League appearances, starting 17 and off the bench in another eight.

Nico Gonzalez started in three of the five matches between Newcastle United and Man City last season, in the team for the 2-1 Premier League defeat at St James’ Park but on the winning side at the Etihad in both the Premier League and Carabao Cup.

Signed for £52m from Porto at the start of February 2025, the now 24-year-old midfielder made 41 Manchester City appearances (all competitions) in total the last season and a half.

I think very clear that Nico Gonzalez is heading out of the Etihad and now the only question is whether it will be St James’ Park he is going to end up at.

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