Pep Guardiola said it was 'really important' that Manchester City signed a midfielder in the January window.
City lost Rodri for the rest of the season back in September when he suffered cruciate ligament damage to his knee and have seen their midfield overrun in many games this campaign. They ruled out a move for Bruno Guimaraes and Martin Zubimendi at the beginning of the window and left it until the final hours of the transfer window before landing Nico Gonzalez from Porto for £50m.
Gonzalez hopes to add physicality and goals to the City team and will be expected to slot straight into a team that has looked in need of reinforcements without waiting for the summer window. He could make his debut on Saturday in the FA Cup tie at Leyton Orient, and has been included in the Champions League squad that includes the play-off against Real Madrid that begins next week.
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Guardiola knows the player and the family well given his Barcelona connections, and thanked the City recruitment team for getting a deal over the line in January.
"Really important," he said of securing Gonzalez's signature. "It's a position where we were weak after Rodri's absence. He's a young player, 23. He can play 6, 8, or in the pockets.
"His physicality, he's a strong boy. I know him from the Barcelona academy and his father was working here. I'm really pleased for the effort of he club to bring him here for the next years."
