Man City ask player to leave just days before season starts, but teammates have been encouraging him to stay
With the transfer window closing soon, Manchester City have told Nico Gonzalez he’s free to leave the club. However, some of his teammates have been encouraging him to stay, according to reports.
Earlier this week, it was said that Newcastle have started talks to sign Gonzalez, as they urgently want a new midfielder after selling Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes. The Athletic reports that Newcastle have had “exploratory conversations” about bringing the 24-year-old to their team.
Gonzalez joined Manchester City from FC Porto last January for £52 million, but he didn’t get many chances to play regularly last season, with Rodri and Mateo Kovacic usually preferred. Now, it seems like he’s thinking about moving on. Craig Hope from the Daily Mail says Gonzalez is “open” to joining Newcastle, though some City players have tried to convince him to stay.
Newcastle are looking at three midfielders, but Gonzalez is their main target right now. City have told Gonzalez he can leave following the arrival of Elliot Anderson. They’re also in talks with Lille to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Some thought that bringing in Enzo Maresca as a coach might help Gonzalez’s chances, but after last weekend’s Community Shield, it looks like he’s still behind Kovacic in the team lineup.
At the beginning of the month, Gonzalez said he wanted to stay and was okay with playing less. After a friendly win in South Korea, he said, “I’m happy here. I don’t want to leave and I think the club wants me to stay. I haven’t seen anything, but I’m happy here.”
He added, “No player has a guaranteed spot for every match. Everyone has to work hard. We are one of the best teams in the world, and there’s a lot of competition for every position.”
That hard work and competition is what helps City keep winning Premier Leagues and compete for all the trophies.