Nico Gonzalez heads to Newcastle and FC Porto… rubs its hands | OneFootball

Newcastle confirmed on Wednesday afternoon the signing of Nico González from Manchester City for a fee close to €56 million, giving FC Porto another financial boost.

Through FIFA’s solidarity mechanism, the blue-and-white SAD will receive more than €500,000, taking into account the year and a half the Spanish midfielder spent with the Dragons.

As Nico González was at FC Porto before turning 23, FIFA considers that the club contributed to his development. Even so, Barcelona will receive the largest share, with €2 million, while Valencia will be entitled to almost €300,000.

With this deal, FC Porto’s total earnings from transfers involving Nico González now rise to €60.5 million. The midfielder left the Dragons for Manchester City in the 2024 winter transfer window, after making 68 appearances, scoring nine goals and providing eight assists in the blue-and-white shirt.

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The arrivals of Elliot Anderson, from Nottingham Forest, and Ayyoub Bouaddi, from Lille, two important additions to Manchester City’s midfield, ended up paving the way for Nico González’s departure. The Spaniard never truly convinced Pep Guardiola, and the departure of the Catalan coach did not change the midfielder’s fate at the Etihad. Now, Nico is heading to Newcastle, where he was welcomed enthusiastically on Wednesday at St James’ Park.

The Magpies faced West Bromwich Albion and won 3-2 in the English League Cup round of 64. Nico González stepped onto the pitch before kick-off.

“I’m very happy to be here at this fantastic club. I’ve only heard very good things about the club and the city, so I’m really excited to live here and be part of this project. I already love the black-and-white shirt and I can’t wait to start wearing it on the pitch for this club,” said Nico in comments to Newcastle’s media channels.

“I’ve already had the experience of playing twice at St James’ Park, for Manchester City, and it was very difficult. The atmosphere was incredible and the fans are extremely passionate. I can’t wait to feel that as a home player,” concluded the 24-year-old midfielder.

Matthias Jaissle, Newcastle’s coach, also expressed his satisfaction at being able to count on another signing for the new season, after the club secured the signing of Amar Dedic from Benfica.

“I’m very happy to see Nico become a Newcastle player. He brings a lot of quality and elite-level experience to a key area of the pitch. Nico is very strong at carrying the ball — someone capable of driving the team forward while staying composed under pressure. He is also defensively disciplined, reads the game well, and his physical ability makes him very well suited to the Premier League,” stressed the Magpies coach, highlighting his experience in several leagues.

“Nico is a proven winner who has already played for some of the biggest clubs in Europe’s top leagues, but he is still young and very eager to keep improving. He is an excellent signing for our squad,” Jaissle concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.