Nico Gonzalez had the difficult task of settling into life at Manchester City after he signed for the Sky Blues on deadline day of the winter transfer window.
It seems like the Spaniard is still finding his feet at the Etihad Stadium as he lost his place in the side after initially becoming an instant starter under Pep Guardiola.
While Gary Neville has criticised Nico’s performances at Manchester City, it would be too premature to write him off.
Nico Gonzalez has shown he could become a top player one day, producing terrific displays against the likes of Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Fulham during his time at the club out of his 10 starts.
Nico Gonzalez says he’s becoming close friends with Rodri at Man City
At Manchester City, Nico has plenty of players to learn from to reach the next level.
Ilkay Gundogan has amazed Nico in training already, despite being 34 and perhaps past his scintillating best.
Ahead of Manchester City’s clash against Al Ain, the former Porto midfielder was quizzed about whether Rodri is as good as he thought, as he replied via BBC Sport: “Even better [than I thought].”
Nico went on to reveal that he is starting to become friends with Rodri, while praising his countryman’s qualities as a player, saying: “I try to see all the passes the players don’t see and take as much from him as I can. He was here in America at the Super Bowl [when he joined] and had a couple of weeks off.”
“He helps me a lot, he is Spanish and we are starting to have a good relationship. He has been [back] a couple of months, he is an amazing player and really good in everything that can be good in a midfielder.”
Nico, who has big dreams at Manchester City added: “I am trying to learn the most I can and I think I am starting to watch him at his best level. I am seeing things that I haven’t seen in a lot of midfielders.”
What Nico Gonzalez is like behind the scenes
City fans will be delighted to hear that the 23-year-old is keen on studying how the Ballon d’Or winner plays while becoming pally with him.
Much like Rodri, Nico can play as a number six as well as further forward, which could make him the perfect understudy to the Manchester City maestro next season.
| POSITIONS NICO GONZALEZ HAS PLAYED | MATCHES PLAYED |
| DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD | 123 |
| CENTRAL MIDFIELD | 42 |
| ATTACKING MIDFIELD | 9 |
| RIGHT MIDFIELD | 1 |
Pep Guardiola lifted the lid on Nico’s mentality as well by mentioning that he is keen on becoming a star in the Premier League.
“Nico Gonzalez helped us a lot. I was really pleased because we needed him. It has been a tough three months.”
Guardiola added: “He is our mini-Rodri. He has a huge presence, his pace, and his time at the Barcelona academy, it is all about the ball and positioning. He has the desire to have success in the Premier League, he is here to prove himself.”
