It is very rare that Manchester City make a mistake in the transfer market.
The Premier League giants have spent a lot of money on players ever since the Manchester club was taken over in 2008; however, the spending of their Abu Dhabi owners has not been reckless, with a lot of thought going into the signing of each star.
Pep Guardiola was keen to add four to five new players to his squad ahead of the upcoming season, and the legendary coach has already seen that target reached, with Tijjani Reijnders being the most impressive acquisition City have made so far.
Man City were certain they wanted each player they brought in over recent weeks, which may not have been the case in January when the Premier League club was under pressure to save their season, and now, one of the signings from that window may already be on his way out of the Etihad Stadium.
Nico Gonzalez carrying the ball for Manchester City.
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
Nico Gonzalez is ready to leave Manchester City
Man City acquired the services of Nico Gonzalez in January as part of a £50m deal with FC Porto as Guardiola looked for an option to replace Rodri short-term.
With the arrival of Reijnders, the legendary coach seems to have already lost faith in the 23-year-old, who played only 61 minutes at the FIFA Club World Cup.
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As a result, Manchester City News understands that Gonzalez’s Man City future is in doubt as intermediaries have made contact with a host of clubs across Europe and also in Saudi Arabia to gauge possible interest in the former Porto midfielder.
Man City are open to allowing Gonzalez to leave this summer, as Guardiola has both Rodri and Reijnders ahead of the Spaniard in his pecking order, with the Dutch star already seen as a key figure at the Manchester club.
An exit for Gonzalez is one to watch throughout the remainder of the summer transfer window, as the 23-year-old’s Man City career could be short and sweet.
How Nico Gonzalez compares to Tijjani Reijnders
Man City fans will not be surprised if Gonzalez leaves the English giants, as it has become clear that Guardiola does not have a lot of faith in the 23-year-old, especially when compared to Reijnders.
Both stars are box-to-box midfielders; however, the Dutch star offers a lot more going forward, which is what Man City’s coaching staff are looking for following a season in which Guardiola’s men struggled to break down teams in a low block.
Player Games Goals Assists Minutes
Nico Gonzalez 46 9 6 3315
Tijjani Reijnders 57 15 5 4861
Nico Gonzalez and Tijjani Reijnders’ 24/25 stats
On paper, Gonzalez is a typical Guardiola player as he has Barcelona DNA inside him, with the Spaniard comfortable in possession, can control the tempo of a match, and has strong defensive qualities. The problem for the midfielder is that Rodri has all these traits as well.
Therefore, Reijnders’ ability to be a big threat in the opposition box has become very attractive to Guardiola, which has resulted in reduced minutes for Gonzalez.