While many clubs have opted for a low profile in the January transfer window, Manchester City have been acting as if it’s the last-ever opportunity to buy players. Having previously talked down the importance of the winter window, Pep Guardiola has been making up for lost time in a bid to save his side’s terrible campaign, and initially splashed out £130 million ($156m) on Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov and Omar Marmoush.
And yet despite blowing every other club in Europe out of the water in terms of spending, Sunday’s humbling 5-1 thrashing by Arsenal made it plainly obvious that City’s squad still had a gaping hole in midfield. Searching for a new No.6 has been troubling for City as they know that Rodri, whose long absence after knee surgery has been the main factor in their shambolic season, will be back for the start of next season – if not before – and will immediately retake his place in Guardiola’s line-up.
But the harrowing beating City took at the Emirates Stadium underlined that they will need some back-up for Rodri even when he returns, and that the current crop of players are not up to covering when he isn’t there. And that is why City made an audacious and eye-catching late swoop to sign Nico Gonzalez from Porto for £50m ($62m), announcing the deal bang on Monday’s 11pm deadline.
Gonzalez comes from a prestigious football family and has already played for three huge clubs in their own right, but he is about to face the toughest challenge of his career: deputising for the reigning Ballon d’Or winner at the crunch stage of the season for a City side that are still in crisis.
GOAL explains, then, why City believe the Spaniard can save their flagging campaign…