There would be little sense in Manchester City letting a Spanish midfielder depart this summer | OneFootball

Earlier this week Darren Looney relayed a report from Graeme Bailey for Manchester City News that Manchester City were open to letting Spanish midfielder Nico leave this summer. Nico only joined Manchester City from FC Porto on the final day of the January transfer window. So he has only spent six months as a member of Pep Guardiola’s squad. While City do need to sell players this summer, there would appear to be little sense in letting Nico depart so soon after joining the club for a host of reasons.

Nico needs time to adjust to life at Manchester City.

First of all, like all midfielders signed by a Pep Guardiola side, Nico needs time to settle in at Manchester City. That has been a common theme with midfielders’ signed by City during Pep Guardiola’s reign as manager. Rodri is the most famous example of this. He took a season to adjust to the demands of his manager. From there, he grew into a Ballon d’Or winner and the best midfielder in world football.

Nico is following a similar trajectory. He’s spent six months at City and there have been glimpses of his quality during his time at the Etihad. There have also been clear signs of what Nico must improve upon as a player to play more regularly. But in Nico’s performances at Manchester City, there is nothing to suggest that he won’t make the grade at the Etihad. It will likely take time for the former FC Porto midfielder to become a regular contributor for Pep Guardiola’s side. But he is clearly a player who is too good to just be cast aside after six months at the club.

Nico was an investment in Manchester City’s future as well as being a player for the here and now.

Looking at Nico as a player the best years of his career do lie ahead of him. He is only 23 years of age and has his entire career ahead of him. When Manchester City signed the Spanish midfielder from FC Porto during the January transfer window he was brought in to add more depth and stability to Manchester City’s midfield. He did that last season while also learning on the job. But it is clear to see that Nico is a signing for Manchester City’s future.

Nico should hit his peak years as a player over the next 18 months. It would be expected that he will play those years at Manchester City. There is little sense in Nico being let go by City as it’s clear that he has all of the attributes required to develop into a quality midfielder. Alongside Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic, Nico should help form a strong midfield for Pep Guardiola’s side next season. Despite it being reported that City could be open to letting Nico leave this summer, it’s a move that just doesn’t make sense.