There has been a lot of talk around the future of Nico Gonzalez at Manchester City in recent days.
Man City acquired the services of Nico Gonzalez in January as part of a £50m deal with FC Porto as Pep Guardiola looked for an option to replace Rodri short-term, after the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner suffered a serious knee injury against Arsenal at the start of the 2024/25 campaign.
The 23-year-old was brought to the Etihad Stadium as he can play in both the number six and eight positions, and after Gonzalez impressed against Newcastle, fans of the Manchester club believed they may have uncovered another gem.
However, Man City fans now think Gonzalez’s Man City career could be short-lived, and that would not be a surprise, as the club had a big doubt about the Spaniard before signing him in January.
Man City knew Nico Gonzalez was not a number six
The FIFA Club World Cup highlighted that Gonzalez has already fallen down the pecking order at Man City, as the Spaniard was given only 61 minutes by Guardiola in the United States.
This was due to the arrival of Tijjani Reijnders at Man City and the return of Rodri, and many City fans will be asking why the club signed the 23-year-old in January, especially when they knew the central midfielder was not a number six before bringing him to Manchester.
According to Manchester Evening News, Man City knew when signing Gonzalez that Rodri’s position was not the best way of using the 23-year-old. Much like Ilkay Gundogan, the midfielder can play there, but it doesn’t suit his skillset.
The report hints that the way the Club World Cup played out for the former Porto star should be a worry for him, as his role at the Etihad Stadium is not very clear heading into the new Premier League season.
Manchester City News exclusively reported on Friday that Man City are open to letting Gonzalez leave this summer, but it remains to be seen if the midfielder’s career in England comes to an end over the coming weeks after just six months.
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Can Nico Gonzalez turn his Man City career around
Things are not looking good for Gonzalez at Man City, especially with how the FIFA Club World Cup played out for the midfielder.
The return of Rodri and Reijnders’ presence in the number eight role in Guardiola’s team has complicated things for the 23-year-old, and that is before Mateo Kovacic returns from injury ahead of the 25/26 campaign.
Many players have taken time to settle at Man City throughout the Guardiola era; however, the problem for Gonzalez is where the midfielder is going to play.
Intermediaries have made contact with a host of clubs across Europe and also in Saudi Arabia to gauge possible interest in Gonzalez before the new season gets underway, and it would not be a surprise to see the player in a different shirt at some stage over the next 12 months.
