Nico González looks poised to bring his short Manchester City career to an end, with Newcastle United closing in on a deal and the midfielder reportedly giving up on his summer-long fight to stay at the club.
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The Spaniard appears to have found himself, once again, on the fringes of Manchester City's first-team plans and this team under Enzo Maresca's coaching amid a dramatic reshape of the club's midfield engine room.
And as a direct result of a lack of clear and consistent opportunities for the club, it now appears Nico Gonzalez's time at the Etihad Stadium is drawing to a close, barely 18 months after it first began.
The expected departure of the FC Barcelona academy graduate marks a swift and somewhat surprising end for a player Manchester City moved decisively to sign only last year.
Nico González arrived from FC Porto in January 2025, in a deal worth approximately £50 million, arriving to bolster the club’s midfield options at a time when they were navigating life without the long-term injured Rodri.
Many Manchester City fans have been left scratching their heads at the situation, with the player appearing perfectly capable in limited minutes and even scoring a match-winning wonder-goal in the FA Cup semi-final against Southampton last season.
González accepts City’s stance after summer fight
But now, as first reported by transfer market insider Fabrizio Romano, Nico González has come to accept where he stands at the Etihad Stadium, despite doing all he could to force his way back into contention at Manchester City throughout the summer.
That realisation has led to rapid movement on a potential exit, with Newcastle United making 'big progress' in talks to sign the midfielder, and an agreement between the two clubs described as 'almost done'.
Discussions on the player’s side are said to be ongoing, with the expectation that a deal could be completed early this week.
Further reporting from The Times newspaper also indicates that Newcastle United are moving closer to completing the £50 million signing of González from Manchester City, with the player having intimated to St James' Park officials that he is ready to make the switch.
The same report insists that a fee has been agreed between the two clubs, and there is now hope from inside Newcastle that a deal can be completed this week for the 24-year-old.
Why are Manchester City willing to let González go?
Under Enzo Maresca, the former Barcelona man has slipped down the pecking order, and it is clear this was not an exit he actively courted. With the club’s stance now understood, however, Nico González appears ready to seek regular football on Tyneside instead.
The answer lies in the sheer scale of Manchester City’s summer overhaul. The midfield has been gutted and rebuilt, with Rodri joining Barcelona, Tijjani Reijnders heading to Saudi Arabia with Al Qadsiah, and club great Bernardo Silva leaving for Real Madrid.
Manchester City have confirmed the departure of Tijjani Reijnders to Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah after just 12 months at the Etihad Stadium.cityxtra.co.ukTijjani Reijnders Leaves Man City to Join Saudi Pro League Side Al Qadsiah
Manchester City have confirmed the departure of Tijjani Reijnders to Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah after just 12 months at the Etihad Stadium.
In their place, City smashed their transfer record to land Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116 million and have agreed a €100 million deal for Lille’s highly-rated teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi, while continuing to pursue Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez among others.
Amid that flurry of activity, Nico González has found himself viewed as surplus to requirements, and his omission from the action in the recent win over Bournemouth only underlined the point. Sanctioning his sale allows City to recoup a significant fee and free up space in a crowded, rapidly-evolving department.
Should the move be rubber-stamped in the coming days, it will represent yet another departure in a summer of near-constant change at the Etihad Stadium. For Nico González, a fresh start at Newcastle United awaits, while for Manchester City, the great midfield reset continues with the transfer deadline looming large.