14 | Nico Gonzalez - 2025/26

[BlueMonkey79]

Fernandinho and Rodri were not world class marquee signings when they arrived to play in the same position, no reason Nico cannot reach similar heights imo.

Gonzalez hasnt got the legs and speed of Fernandinho or the nouse and passing range of Rodri.

He's a decent top 5 team player.

If he went up for sale tomorrow I doubt Real Madrid, Barca or Munich will be battering the door down for him.

 

[youngbob]

Gonzalez hasnt got the legs and speed of Fernandinho or the nouse and passing range of Rodri.

He's a decent top 5 team player.

If he went up for sale tomorrow I doubt Real Madrid, Barca or Munich will be battering the door down for him.

Madrid, Barca and Munich weren't after Rodri at 23 either. We were pretty much unopposed when we signed him.

 

[domalino]

Fernandinho and Rodri were not world class marquee signings when they arrived to play in the same position, no reason Nico cannot reach similar heights imo.

Rodri was the club record signing and everyone in Spain knew we got the steal of the century because he refused several attempts by Atletico to raise his release clause from the €65m they signed him with to €100m+.

Nico has shown enough in the last 6 weeks that he's going to be a good player to have in the squad. I think he's got a long way to go before he gets the kind of undroppable status Rodri has, and I don't see the pathway for him to get there as he's a bit of a jack of all trades master of none.

However Pep is the best coach he could ask for to develop him in midfield and Rodri's the perfect person to study and learn from, so I'm not writing it off.

 

[JewelZee]

Gundo was an obvious world class signing.

Nico - isn't near this level - but he's our best DM given that Rodri is likely going to be perpetually injured.

Gundo was OBVIOUSLY world class? By whose standard? Was Ake world class? Did he play a big part in our treble and 4 peat? How about Akanji? So you're telling me we haven't brought in depth players who wound up having a big hand in things? We can go around and around all day mate if you'd like.

 

[CΛL]

Rodri was the club record signing and everyone in Spain knew we got the steal of the century because he refused several attempts by Atletico to raise his release clause from the €65m they signed him with to €100m+.

Nico has shown enough in the last 6 weeks that he's going to be a good player to have in the squad. I think he's got a long way to go before he gets the kind of undroppable status Rodri has, and I don't see the pathway for him to get there as he's a bit of a jack of all trades master of none.

However Pep is the best coach he could ask for to develop him in midfield and Rodri's the perfect person to study and learn from, so I'm not writing it off.

Rodri was lesser known than Nico if anything.

 

[CΛL]

Gonzalez hasnt got the legs and speed of Fernandinho or the nouse and passing range of Rodri.

He's a decent top 5 team player.

If he went up for sale tomorrow I doubt Real Madrid, Barca or Munich will be battering the door down for him.

Must have missed when we beat those teams to Fernandinho who paid part of his transfer fee to come here, or Rodri too for that matter. The history books do not lie.

 

[domalino]

Rodri was lesser known than Nico if anything.

No he wasn't. Rodri was already seen as Busquets' successor when we bought him.

Nico was a kid who failed at Barca and was starting to come good in Portugal for a Porto side that wasn't even winning in Portugal and he wasn't even a 100% starter for them.

Rodri was playing for Spain before we bought him, Nico still hasn't been capped.

I don't know why you're desperate to rewrite history but it's just not true.

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

Gundo was OBVIOUSLY world class? By whose standard?

Not to get involved in the other bits of drama, that I think I probably agree with, but he was one of the key figures in that Klopp double winning Dortmund side, the best player on the pitch against Madrid in the CL semis, and scored in the final.

 

[CΛL]

No he wasn't. Rodri was already seen as Busquets' successor when we bought him.

Nico was a kid who failed at Barca and was starting to come good in Portugal for a Porto side that wasn't even winning in Portugal and he wasn't even a 100% starter for them.

Rodri was playing for Spain before we bought him, Nico still hasn't been capped.

I don't know why you're desperate to rewrite history but it's just not true.

Rodri had 6 caps for Spain, 2 starts (both friendlies) before signing for City. I’m not rewriting anything, City is where he made a name for himself.

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

Important observation here.

I noticed exactly this at Forest away last season when he went off for Kovačić on the hour mark and we nose dived in our play as a team without him.

We also improved in general when he came to the club - his debut against Newcastle was an immediate impact and throws the ‘it takes a year’ idea out the window. He was good straight away and has only had a couple of poor games for us.

He’s only 23 and got loads of improving to do and loads of physical developing in the gym he needs to get under his belt, but I think he’s a good player and only going to get better.

One of the better signings in the last few years.

+1 for this.

We don't need him to be as good as Rodri, we are better when he plays. Up to him, luck, and Pep whether he gets to Godri treble levels, but we don't need that week-in, week-out. We just need a functioning midfield.

 

[Blue Hefner]

I like him. Is he the next best player in the world(Rodri) probably not but I think that’s an unreasonable expectation

He looks to me, more than good enough to be a Premier League and Champions League player, so let’s take it from there

 

[Gorbachev]

No he wasn't. Rodri was already seen as Busquets' successor when we bought him.

Nico was a kid who failed at Barca and was starting to come good in Portugal for a Porto side that wasn't even winning in Portugal and he wasn't even a 100% starter for them.

Rodri was playing for Spain before we bought him, Nico still hasn't been capped.

I don't know why you're desperate to rewrite history but it's just not true.

100% agree.

Fernandino as well, what people forget, was instrumental in a very good Shakhtar team that were CL regulars and were Europa League winners in 2009.

He was getting caps for Brazil despite playing in Ukraine.

He wasn't this nobody that a lot make him out to be and it's why he cost us £35m back in 2013 despite being a player from Ukraine. That would be like buying him for £70m nowadays.

 

[BlueMonkey79]

Must have missed when we beat those teams to Fernandinho who paid part of his transfer fee to come here, or Rodri too for that matter. The history books do not lie.

That's up to the other teams?

I'm talking about here and now. If Nico went up for sale he'd probs end back up in Portugal or a lesser Spanish side.

You think Nico will come good. I think he will be an alright player.

Only time will tell.

The writing was on the wall last season for me. No Rodri but he couldn't nail down a starting spot.

And hardly featured in the CWC.

 

[youngbob]

I don't think people are saying that Nico Gonzalez will end up as good as Rodri, what people are saying is that, at the age of 23 (even at the age of 25), Rodri only had potential and it didn't exactly take a massive transfer saga to get him to City. Nobody could have predicted that he'd one day win the Balon d'Or, Euros, and the European Cup within 18 months of each other. So it's fair enough to suggest that, while not exactly the same, Gonzalez at 23 has a similar sort of profile to Rodri at a similar age, and might end up being almost as good as him by the age of 27 or 28. If Gonzalez ends up at even 70-80% of Rodri's quality, we'll have done very well out of him.

 

[JewelZee]

Not to get involved in the other bits of drama, that I think I probably agree with, but he was one of the key figures in that Klopp double winning Dortmund side, the best player on the pitch against Madrid in the CL semis, and scored in the final.

He was that, but he came to us injured and took a few years to really get cooking here. While you're weighing in what's your opinion on my points regarding Ake and Akanji?

 

[Blue Hefner]

I don't think people are saying that Nico Gonzalez will end up as good as Rodri, what people are saying is that, at the age of 23 (even at the age of 25), Rodri only had potential and it didn't exactly take a massive transfer saga to get him to City. Nobody could have predicted that he'd one day win the Balon d'Or, Euros, and the European Cup within 18 months of each other. So it's fair enough to suggest that, while not exactly the same, Gonzalez at 23 has a similar sort of profile to Rodri at a similar age, and might end up being almost as good as him by the age of 27 or 28. If Gonzalez ends up at even 70-80% of Rodri's quality, we'll have done very well out of him.

100%

 

[blueparrot]

That's up to the other teams?

I'm talking about here and now. If Nico went up for sale he'd probs end back up in Portugal or a lesser Spanish side.

You think Nico will come good. I think he will be an alright player.

Only time will tell.

The writing was on the wall last season for me. No Rodri but he couldn't nail down a starting spot.

And hardly featured in the CWC.

So you’re basing it off last season completely ignoring this season when he’s played all the time when Rodri hasn't and played very well. Why would you do that ,bit weird.

 

[BlueMonkey79]

So you’re basing it off last season completely ignoring this season when he’s played all the time when Rodri hasn't and played very well. Why would you do that ,bit weird.

All about opinions.

He's done ok. But for me we need more than OK players to get back to the elite we once was.

He's hardly stood out and chucking his hat in the ring for MoTM performances every week.
Nowt weird about having an opinion which plenty of others will also agree with.

 

[Petetheblu]

Gonzalez hasnt got the legs and speed of Fernandinho or the nouse and passing range of Rodri.

He's a decent top 5 team player.

If he went up for sale tomorrow I doubt Real Madrid, Barca or Munich will be battering the door down for him.

Who would have been battering the door down for Rodders in his first and second season?

Turned out decent enough.

 

[mattcity5]

All about opinions.

He's done ok. But for me we need more than OK players to get back to the elite we once was.

He's hardly stood out and chucking his hat in the ring for MoTM performances every week.
Nowt weird about having an opinion which plenty of others will also agree with.

Tbh he probably shouldn't be challenging for MOTM every week playing the position he does. The biggest indicator of him being good enough, would be us winning matches when he plays, with other players getting the plaudits and MOTM awards possibly, but because he helps the team be its best.

It's a lot further down the line when a DM is truly appreciated and gets awards.