Man City Miss Out on Zaire-Emery, Sign Nico Gonzalez Instead
Manchester City attempted to sign PSG midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery during the January transfer window but withdrew after PSG demanded €100 million. Instead, they signed Nico Gonzalez from Porto for €60 million. Gonzalez, dubbed a “mini-Rodri” by Guardiola, impressed in his debut against Newcastle.
Manchester City attempted to sign PSG midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery during the January transfer window but withdrew after PSG demanded €100 million. Instead, they signed Nico Gonzalez from Porto for €60 million. Gonzalez, dubbed a “mini-Rodri” by Guardiola, impressed in his debut against Newcastle. City also signed Marmoush (€75m), Khusanov (€40m), Reis (€37m), Bah (€6m), and McFarlane (free).
For the January transfer window, Manchester City prioritized signing PSG midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery but withdrew after PSG demanded €100 million. Instead, City secured Porto's Nico Gonzalez for €60 million on Transfer Deadline Day. Gonzalez signed a four-and-a-half-year contract and made his Premier League debut in City's 4-0 win over Newcastle, earning praise from Pep Guardiola, who called him a “mini-Rodri.”
Although impressed by Gonzalez, City initially preferred Zaire-Emery, who has made 103 senior appearances for PSG, scored eight goals, and won five trophies. His current contract runs for over four years, with an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €65.6 million. Liverpool has also shown interest in signing the 18-year-old midfielder.
Alongside Gonzalez, City completed several other January signings, including Omar Marmoush for €75 million, Abdukodir Khusanov for €40 million, Vitor Reis for €37 million, Juma Bah for €6 million, and Christian McFarlane on a free transfer. Guardiola had prioritized strengthening the midfield due to Rodri’s injury layoff, and while City missed out on their primary target, they successfully bolstered their squad with multiple additions to maintain competitiveness across competitions.