- Nico Gonzalez enjoyed rare start on Saturday
- Scored Man City’s winning goal
- Receiving interest ahead of summer transfer window
Nico Gonzalez earned plaudits for his display on Saturday, and it could turn out to be one of his final starts for Manchester City.
The sky blue section of Wembley Stadium was in panic mode as Southampton took an unexpected lead in the FA Cup semi-final.
However, Jeremy Doku made it 1-1 a short while later, before Nico Gonzalez completed Manchester City’s comeback with an excellent strike.
The Spaniard capped off what had already been a decent individual performance with the superb moment.
Nevertheless, he is still not viewed as an important player at Man City, which makes his position at the club uncertain.
Nico Gonzalez is attracting interest
City’s hero on Saturday is quite popular with the supporters due to his solid all-round game and versatility.
Other clubs are taking notice, as The Athletic have reported that several sides are monitoring Nico’s situation.
The 24-year-old is contracted to Man City for another three years, but there are bound to be questions over his future with so few starts recorded this season.
Nico’s future could depend on Rodri
In recent weeks, Rodri has been linked with a Man City exit and such a move would affect what midfielders City are willing to lose this summer.
Bernardo Silva is already departing the club once the season ends, and Pep Guardiola will not want to oversee a complete rebuild when he only has a year left on his contract.
So if Rodri does end up moving, this could be the opportunity Nico needs to break into the first-team. Or at the very least, it would make his departure unlikely.
Man City would be unwise to sell Nico
Even if Rodri does put pen to paper and sign a new deal, he is unlikely to be a Man City player five years down the line.
Whereas by this point, Nico could be a top class midfielder. After all, he is already showing great potential and is still a few years off what ought to be his prime.
Guardiola should look to integrate Nico into his startling line-ups more frequently next season, otherwise selling him will become their sole option.
This would be a decision the club would live to regret, as Nico has all the qualities required to become the next Rodri.
