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Premier League

Man City to spend $62 million on ex-Barcelona Rodri replacement

Pep Guardiola’s side have struggled to deal with an injury to the Spanish midfielder and have moved to bring in a young alternative.

FC Porto's Spanish midfielder #16 Nico Gonzalez reacts after scoring a goal during the UEFA Europa League, 1st round day 8, football match  between Maccabi Tel Aviv and FC Porto at the Partizan stadium in Belgrade on January 30, 2025. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP)
ANDREJ ISAKOVICAFP

Manchester City’s season went from bad to worse on Sunday with a 5-1 humbling at the hands of Arsenal. Pep Guardiola’s previously frictionless team is stuttering badly this year and major personnel changes may be needed to get them running smoothly again.

The City hierarchy has been active in the January transfer window, bringing in Omar Marmoush ($78m), Abdukodir Khusanov ($41m) and Vitor Reiss ($38m) to bolster the team. But the crucial midfield area still need reinforcement and City look set to make a late move.

Porto midfield Nico González is reportedly close to joining Man City on a deal worth around $62 million. The 23-year-old has impressed as both a No. 6 and No. 8 in Portugal and at 6ft 2in offers some much-needed physicality in the midfield.

González is a graduate of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy and broke into the first team in 2021. He made 37 appearances in the 2021/22 season but went on to join Porto for a fee of around $9 million in July 2023. He’s made 68 appearance for Porto and has scored nine goals.

Guardiola will hope that González can bring some of the control that Rodri has offered the team in recent years, before suffering a serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last September. The absence of Rodri, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, has left City looking fragile in midfield.

A move to City would also be a major boost for former team Barcelona, who stand to benefit from a healthy sell-on fee inserted into the Porto transfer. The Athletic reports that Barça have a 40% sell-on clause, roughly $25 million for a player that they deemed surplus to requirements.

Once registered, González should be ready to make his City debut in the FA Cup meeting with Leyton Orient this weekend. After that, a nightmare run of games that includes two Champions League ties against Real Madrid and Premier League fixtures against Newcastle United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest.

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