Manchester City has set a new record for winter spending, completing the signing of midfielder Nico Gonzalez from Porto for $61.8 million, bringing the total spent in the January transfer window to over $200 million.
This marks City's fifth winter signing and arguably its most crucial one, as Gonzalez will serve as a vital replacement following Rodri's knee injury in September.
City Strengthens Midfield with Nico Gonzalez as Winter Spending Surpasses $200 Million
Gonzalez, 23, who came through Barcelona's academy, joined Porto in 2023 for €8.5 million. This deal represents a significant profit for Porto, with Barcelona set to receive 40% of the transfer fee.
City has been struggling with a sharp decline in form, mainly due to key injuries, with Rodri's absence heavily impacting the defensive midfield. Additionally, the absence of all four starting center-backs further weakened the team, contributing to City’s fall out of the Premier League title race.
Earlier in the window, City spent $77 million to sign defenders Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens and Vitor Reis from Palmeiras, along with Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt for $73 million.
There’s no denying that injuries have severely impacted City's results, with all of their starting defenders sidelined. As the end of January approaches, the pressure remains on Gonzalez to fill the gap left by Rodri in the defensive midfield role.
It's also worth noting that with City’s significant spending this winter, they have become the second-highest spenders in January, behind Chelsea, who set a record in January 2023 by spending over $350 million on players like Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Benoît Badiashil.
