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Manchester City ready to bin expensive January signing in shock u-turn: report

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Manchester City are ready to move on a major first-team acquisition who's only played a handful of times for Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola (R), Head Coach of Manchester City, instructs his players during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group G match between Manchester City FC and Wydad AC at Lincoln Financial Field on June 18, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
(Image credit: David Ramos/Getty Images)

Manchester City are prepared to sanction a move for a major January signing to leave the club.

2025 has been a massive year for City in the transfer market, with close to £350 million spent on rebuilding Pep Guardiola's squad, following a poor season in which the Sky Blues were off the pace in the Premier League and out of the title race by Christmas.

With transfer business still ticking off for Guardiola, the Catalan is now ready to make ruthless decisions with his squad, as he gets to grips with reshaping his team ahead of the new season.

Manchester City ready to dispose of major signing

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, May 2025

Pep Guardiola has to manage his squad carefully (Image credit: Alamy)

In May, Guardiola said that he would quit if the size of his squad wasn't reduced by the start of the new season – but as relayed by SuperSport recently, the City boss has claimed shed further light on his opinion of a bloated squad.

“I would love to have the players we have right now all season," Guardiola told reporters in Atlanta, clarifying, “The problem is they will be unhappy during the season, they will be sad, they will be disappointed: [and] I don't want that.”

Manchester City's Argentine midfielder #30 Claudio Echeverri (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's second goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group G football match between England's Manchester City and UAE's Al Ain FC at the Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta on June 22, 2025.

City have a bigger squad than perhaps Guardiola would like (Image credit: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images)

There are several potential candidates to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer, such as Ilkay Gundogan, Jack Grealish and Kyle Walker – but Spanish outlet Fichajes has revealed a more surprising name in Nico Gonzalez.

The Spaniard joined City for a £50m fee, making him one of the top 100 most expensive players of all time – but he has played just 16 times in all competitions under Guardiola, deputising for 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, in the no.6 role.

With Rodri now back in action with City and Guardiola having signed another player who can fulfil the role in Tijjani Reijnders – ranked at no.9 in FourFourTwo's list of the best central midfielders in the world right now – Fichajes claims that City are considering sending Gonzalez to Villarreal on loan, to get the minutes he wants.

FourFourTwo understands that the 23-year-old was brought in partly due to his tutelage at La Masia, meaning that he could adapt quickly to Guardiola's style of play: but given that Rodri is expected to start the majority of games, the Citizens require a backup who can perhaps double up in another role, such as Reijnders as a no.8.

Nico Gonzalez in action for Porto against Olympiacos in January 2025.

Nico Gonzalez signed from Porto in January (Image credit: Getty Images)

City also have the likes of Gundogan, Rico Lewis, Mateo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes and Bernardo Silva as options in a stacked midfield, with Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden, Claudio Echeverri, Nico O'Reilly and James McAtee able to play in a midfield three, too.

Gonzalez is valued at €40m by Transfermarkt.

Mark White
Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.