Newcastle United

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Nico Gonzalez has said he is "excited" to "be part of this project" after completing his move from Manchester City to Newcastle United for a fee which could rise to £52m.

The Spanish midfielder has joined Newcastle on a long-term contract after completing his medical.

"I'm really happy to be here at this amazing club," he said., external "I've only heard top words about the club and the city, so I'm really excited to live here and to be part of this project.

"I love the black and white shirt already and I can't wait to start wearing it on the pitch for this club.

"I've experienced playing at St James' Park twice with Manchester City and it was really tough. The atmosphere was amazing and the fans are so passionate. I can't wait to experience that as a home player."

Head coach Matthias Jaissle said Gonzalez brings "serious quality and elite experience in a key area of the pitch", while sporting director Ross Wilson added: "We've worked patiently on this transfer for a number of weeks. This was the one we wanted and we're delighted to welcome Nico to Newcastle United.

"He was an ambitious target but following our discussions, he was so keen to join this club."

Before the transfer was confirmed, Amos Murphy from The City Ramble spoke to BBC Radio Newcastle about what Gonzalez might bring to the Magpies' team - listen to the full clip below or on BBC Sounds.

There are three Premier League teams in action on Wednesday in the second round of the EFL Cup, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Newcastle United v West Bromwich Albion - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Tottenham Hotspur v Charlton Athletic

• Preston North End v Everton (20:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off 19:45 BST unless stated

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We asked how excited you are about midfielder Nico Gonzalez joining Newcastle, after a deal worth up to £52m was agreed with Manchester City.

Here are some of your comments:

Michael: Excited about Nico Gonzalez. A very good player with a fair bit more experience than what we had bought so far this summer. I think he'll be very influential for us, in defence and in transition especially.

Sorrel: Three new central midfielders for Sandro Tonali's money. Well played Newcastle.

Dean: Fantastic signing that adds some much wanted experience to our midfield group. He didn't get as much of a chance to shine at Man City as he would have liked, but who else in the world would displace Rodri in that position? If Pep Guardiola holds him in high regard, then so must we. Can't wait to see him in action!

Martin: Great addition. We just need to find a left-back as back-up to Lewis Hall. Nick Woltemade will come good. Most teams won't allow us to play as we did against Liverpool and having a tall player with good touch is a great idea.

• Newcastle agree £52m deal for Man City's Gonzalez

Ben: It's surprising that Man City are letting him go after the departure of Rodri and it seemed the idea was that Nico Gonzalez would be his successor. Appreciate Ayyoub Bouaddi is already done and Enzo Fernandez is likely to come in, but this feels like a real coup for Newcastle. I'm also surprised some bigger clubs have not come in for him either! If we can get a proper number 10 in before the end of the window, I'll be very happy.

Alan: A good signing making the departure of three key players a little easier to accept. Things look much brighter than they did a month ago.

Eric: What a brilliant signing, Matthias Jaissle is doing a super job up to now. A superb young team, if we continue to play like we did against Liverpool, then Premier League teams beware. I am a positive fan.

Richard: Getting Nico Gonzalez will be a major plus for us. Young enough to have the potential for resale, but experienced enough to give us what we need in central midfield. A right-sided attacker would be my next priority, but not at the expense of a serious central midfield general.

Ciaran Kelly
Newcastle United reporter

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Newcastle United head coach Matthias Jaissle does not have to look too far into the history books for inspiration as he prepares to take charge of his first Carabao Cup tie.

An estimated 300,000 supporters packed out city-centre streets and the Town Moor just 18 months ago to celebrate the Magpies ending a long wait for silverware by winning the competition.

"They tried to convince me with that footage," he joked of negotiations with the club's hierarchy before he took charge. "It was not needed."

Newcastle certainly had a strong record in the EFL Cup under predecessor Eddie Howe, reaching at least the semi-finals in three of the past four seasons.

Jaissle needed no reminding of the importance of the cup as he looked ahead to Wednesday's second-round tie against Championship side West Brom at St James' Park.

"It's a big competition in the history of the club," he said.

This game does still potentially provide an opportunity for a number of players to stake their claim, though.

Summer signings Ewen Jaouen, Bazoumana Toure and Aladji Bamba will be among those hoping to play, while Fabian Schar, Jacob Ramsey, Joe Willock and Nick Woltemade could also be involved.

"There are now many players who were exhausted, some of them with minor injuries," Jaissle said following Sunday's breathless 2-2 draw with Liverpool.

"So we need to see who is available and then we make a decision."

Image source, Getty Images

Newcastle United have agreed a deal worth up to £52m for Manchester City midfielder Nico Gonzalez.

The 24-year-old joined City in February 2025 for a fee of £50m.

How excited are you about the deal? Will he be a good addition to Matthias Jaissle's squad?

Get in touch with your views

Ciaran Kelly
Newcastle United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Although Newcastle's young side came within seconds of defeating Liverpool on the opening weekend, there was always going to be work to do before the window shut on 1 September.

Newcastle have made six signings so far this summer in goalkeepers Lukas Hornicek and Ewen Jaouen, defender Amar Dedic, midfielders Aladji Bamba and Sean Steur and forward Bazoumana Toure.

• Read: Newcastle agree Gonzalez deal

But Matthias Jaissle made it clear that "adjustments need to be done and will be" in an interview with BBC Sport last week.

After reluctantly selling talisman Guimaraes to Arsenal, Nico Gonzalez possesses the qualities Newcastle have been looking for in the middle of the park.

This is a player who would have been potentially out of reach not so long ago.

Of those midfielders who played a minimum of 900 minutes in Europe's top five leagues last season, Gonzalez led the way for high turnovers per game (2.13).

He also ranked in the Premier League's top five midfielders for line-breaking passes per match (12).

Those traits - in and out of possession - could make Gonzalez an invaluable addition as he is handed a greater role at St James' Park.

Image source, Getty Images

Premier League history was made before a ball was even kicked this season as a record nine clubs started the campaign with new managers.

The post-Eddie Howe era has begun at Newcastle United under Matthias Jaissle, who was managing Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli before taking over at St James' Park.

So how did he fare on an eventful first weekend of the 2026-27 campaign?

Seconds away from what would have been a very significant win against Liverpool, but still plenty for Jaissle to take away even with the concession of that late, late penalty.

The Toon Army were right behind the new manager and his team, reshaping after the loss of Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, and they responded with real intensity.

The effort was there. The attacking style Jaissle wants was there. Only the win was missing, but it was enough to please him after fall-out from this summer's Tyneside turbulence.

Read Phil's thoughts on how the rest of the new faces fared here

Newcastle will submit a final offer worth 60m euros (£51m) for Lille and Belgium forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo, 21. (Sacha Tavolieri), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Jonty Colman
BBC Sport journalist

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The third-round draw for the 2026-27 Carabao Cup will take place on Wednesday, 26 August following the conclusion of Preston North End vs Everton.

Nine Premier League clubs taking part in European football join the 23 first-round winners from across the English Football League.

Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Sunderland, Brighton and Crystal Palace will enter the competition at this stage, as the top eight Premier League clubs from the 2025-26 season plus Crystal Palace as Conference League winners.

It will be broadcast live on Sky Sports following the conclusion of the third round tie between Preston North End and Everton, kicking off at 20:00 BST.

Unlike the opening two rounds of the competition, the third round draw is not regionalised.

However, before the match at Deepdale there will be a pre-draw determining which of the Champions League and Europa League clubs will play at home or away in round three.

In order to avoid potential scheduling issues, the eight Champions League and Europa League clubs cannot be drawn against each other in round three.

When the draw takes place, the first eight fixtures decided are the ones involving clubs in the Champions League and Europa League. The remainder of the draw will be an open draw as usual.

Due to clashes with opening weeks of the Champions League and Europa League seasons, the third round will be played across two different weeks. They are the weeks commencing Monday, 7 and Monday, 14 September, 2026.

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Mason Miley, younger brother of Newcastle United's Lewis Miley, impressed in first-team pre-season this summer, playing in six of seven friendlies.

The 17-year-old has played in central midfield but has recently operated at right back, where he was utilised throughout the summer by both Eddie Howe and Matthias Jaissle.

Newcastle United under-21s head coach Robbie Stockdale spoke to BBC Radio Newcastle about the younger Miley after his side's game against Tottenham on Monday night.

"The challenge is to keep building his performances," Stockdale said. "He's all in, Mason, he's such a great young professional. He leaves everything out on the pitch every game, just maybe that consistency, learning that position.

"He's not played that position when he's been coming through the system. At the minute, he's played in the first team there and played really well. The one thing with Mason is he's all in and whatever you ask of him he gives his 100%, and if he keeps doing that he'll improve and do better."

Listen to Mason and Lewis Miley speak to BBC Radio Newcastle

The team on Monday Night Club discussed Yoane Wissa's success as a number 10 for Newcastle in Sunday's draw against Liverpool, and how playing behind William Osula demonstrated his "pace and power" in attack.

"It's nice to see him fit and firing," said former Premier League winger Andros Townsend. "I'm excited to see what he can bring to Newcastle this season."

Wissa registered an assist and was named man of the match for his performance against the Reds.

Ciaran Kelly
Newcastle United reporter

Newcastle United's young signings did not look fazed when they faced Liverpool on their Premier League debuts at the weekend.

Manager Matthias Jaissle could still use another midfielder with some top-flight nous, though, after Newcastle sold Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali, and the club are progressing with a move for Manchester City's Nico Gonzalez.

Beyond that, bringing in a mobile and versatile forward who could chip in would help ease the burden on William Osula and Yoane Wissa.

What business do you think still needs to get done before 23:00 BST on 1 September?

Get in touch with your views here

Yoane Wissa's debut season at Newcastle was one to forget.

However, just under a year on since his £55m arrival at St James' Park, the DR Congo international is showing glimpses of the form that he displayed at Brentford.

On BBC Radio Newcastle, former Magpies defender John Anderson said Wissa was "phenomenal" in Sunday's 2-2 draw against Liverpool.

"He's a player who came in for a lot of criticism last season. He was thrown in at the deep end.

"Last season, he went away on international duty and picked up an injury and he never really recovered. It is a tough league when you have been out for so long."

Wissa was integral in Newcastle's build-up play against Liverpool and he created Joe Willock's goal that put the hosts 2-1 up.

"He was everywhere. For Willock's goal, what Wissa did in the middle of the park was brilliant. He left three red shirts floundering," added Anderson.

"Wissa was everything you wanted to see. We knew the type of player he was because we had seen it at Brentford.

"Hopefully, it's a sign of what's to come. If he can keep that up - scary."

Listen to the full clip above or on BBC Sounds here

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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I was at St James' Park on Sunday and when I regained my composure after the beautiful and poignant celebrations of the great Kevin Keegan's life, I quickly understood the devil-may-care approach that Matthias Jaissle's Newcastle United side brought to the party.

Liverpool were champions two years ago. They have spent many hundreds of millions of pounds since, on a squad which still looks threadbare, but on Sunday they were matched by a very young midfield duo delivered at a fraction of the cost.

Florian Wirtz (£116m) and Alexander Isak (£125m) were stifled by 20-year-old Lewis Miley, who cost nothing, and 18-year-old Sean Steur, who was signed for a measly initial £20m from Ajax. Putting that sort of youth up against world superstars would have been considered foolhardy until very recently, but the new coaches aren't bringing any fear with them into their new roles.

It is not just the newbies either, Everton's engine room under Davie Moyes had Premier League debutant Hayden Hackney (£24m from Middlesbrough) beside 19-year-old Harrison Armstrong, a Toffees academy graduate. They were still trusted to control the midfield and duly dispatched Crystal Palace.

This was always going to be a season of upheaval with all the managerial changes but it might be even more substantial than that. It could be the dawn of a complete shift in outlook.

Arsenal with their quality and experience might still see off the wannabe challengers in the end. Then again, weren't they riding the crest of this wave of organised chaos, utilising set-piece bedlam, as they won the title last season?

The big take: The league is always exciting but hasn't always given us enough tales of the unexpected, this season promises to be different. The newcomers appear to have a lack of fear and a love of chaos.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

Newcastle have reached a verbal agreement with Manchester City to sign Spain midfielder Nico Gonzalez, 24, for £47m plus £3m in add-ons. (Fabrizio Romano), external

The Magpies have submitted an offer worth 40m euros (£34.2m), excluding bonuses, for Lille and Belgium forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo, 21. (L'Equipe - in French), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Newcastle United and Liverpool.

Here are some of your comments:

Newcastle fans

John S: Newcastle we're unrecognisable - solid, exciting, hungry, inspiring. What a change around. Well done.

Sandy: Once again, the manager tried to run the clock! The penalty incident would never have happened if he'd left the team as it was. And the added time would have run out.

John G: Good to see Jaissle has got them organised and playing with confidence. We defended well and Miley and Steur were both excellent in midfield. We scored two great goals, with Wissa and Elanga working hard and playing really well. I still feel we need more experience in midfield and a seasoned striker.

Paul: Positive and committed performance - strong at the back and threatening with our pace in attack. Elanga, Wissa, Hall and Thiaw were particularly impressive. We'll see where we are after 10 games.

Liverpool fans

Peter: Liverpool looked disjointed with no flow. The Wirtz role didn't work all last season and is clearly still not working now. Isak, once again, had no presence up front. A lot of work to do.

Mick: Lacked ideas to break down Newcastle's defence. Showed many of same issues from last season. Need a winger and a central defender.

Garrick: Statistics suggested Liverpool were the better team, but I'm not sure about that. Statistics mean nothing. It's all about putting the ball in the back of the net and, luckily for us, we got a penalty right at the death to go away with a point. Always a tough place to go, Newcastle, but the season has only just begun.

Victor: I think it's a good start under Iraola, but there's still plenty of work to be done, particularly in midfield and defence. We were far too exposed going forward, and that's why we need to find the right balance. If we can improve our defensive structure while maintaining our attacking threat, I think we'll have a very exciting team and a promising season.

Ciaran Kelly
Newcastle United reporter

There were early glimpses of just what Matthias Jaissle's side could be against Liverpool - the intensity, the balls in behind, the grit, spirit and the work-rate.

Few embodied those qualities quite like new arrival Amar Dedic, who only completed his £30m move from Benfica on Tuesday, but what was just as striking was the performances of one or two of last summer's signings following difficult first seasons on Tyneside.

It was Anthony Elanga who opened the scoring with a well-taken finish into the bottom corner, while Yoane Wissa, who set up substitute Joe Willock's second, is clearly relishing added responsibility under Jaissle.

It said it all that Wissa - a forward - won more duels (11) than any other Newcastle United player on Sunday.

"The manager expects me to be a leader and lead the group," the 29-year-old told Sky Sports. "He wants me to be winning balls, making sure everyone is going forward, going for the kill, and sometimes just being calm."

Jaissle saluted Wissa's display, even if he could not help but add he also had the chance to "kill the game" to make it 3-1.

This was Newcastle's Achilles heel last season.

No other side dropped more points (27) from winning positions in 2025-26 and predecessor Eddie Howe was the first to admit in May that "anything can happen" after he was asked if such a habit could seep into this campaign.

Yet the reaction of those Newcastle supporters who stayed behind to applaud after the full-time whistle on Sunday was telling.

"We were there for each other if something went wrong," Jaissle said of his players. "We acted like a unit. In such a short amount of time, this is a top starting point.

"The frustration was there as well, but these are the challenges we have now. With the pre-season and the transition phase, it is normal. Today, someone threw stones in the way - we need to take that out to be successful again."

Read the full article here

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