Newcastle sign Manchester City midfielder Nico Gonzalez on long-term deal

Newcastle United have completed the signing of Manchester City midfielder Nico Gonzalez after the 24-year-old passed his medical and agreed a long-term contract at St James’ Park.

The Spanish midfielder was presented to Newcastle supporters before Wednesday’s Carabao Cup meeting with West Bromwich Albion, having brought an end to an 18-month spell at City.

Gonzalez joined Manchester City from Porto in January 2025 and made 59 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals. He helped the club win both the 2026 Carabao Cup and FA Cup, scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup semi-final against Southampton.

His move comes despite Gonzalez previously stating that he did not want to leave City. However, he fell down the midfield pecking order after the club strengthened in that area.

City have signed Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi for a reported £85.6m, while Elliot Anderson joined from Nottingham Forest in a deal worth £116m.

Gonzalez is the fourth senior midfielder to leave Manchester City during this transfer window, following Bernardo Silva, Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders.

Newcastle rebuild under Jaissle

The transfer is part of a major reshaping of Newcastle’s squad by new head coach Matthias Jaissle.

Newcastle have lost midfielders Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali to Arsenal and Tottenham respectively, while Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier have also departed.

Jaissle believes Gonzalez will be able to contribute immediately in the Premier League. The Newcastle manager highlighted the qualities he expects the midfielder to bring to the team, including his ability to carry the ball, his defensive awareness and his physical strength.

“Nico is a really strong ball carrier – somebody who can drive the team forward while staying composed under pressure,” Jaissle said. “He also brings discipline defensively, he reads the game well and his physicality makes him well suited to the Premier League.”

Gonzalez began his career with Barcelona and also played for Valencia before moving to Porto. He said he was looking forward to becoming a regular at Newcastle and starting a new chapter with the club.

“I’m really happy to be here at this amazing club,” he said. “I’ve only heard top words about the club and the city, so I’m really excited to live here and to be part of this project.”

The midfielder also reflected positively on his time at Manchester City, where he won two major domestic trophies and scored in an FA Cup semi-final.

“It has been a privilege to be part of Manchester City,” he said. “I’ve loved my time here, but I have a desire to play more often. I leave with nothing but love and gratitude for City.”