Nico Gonzalez received an enthusiastic welcome from Newcastle United supporters after completing a £52m move from Manchester City, underlining the central role the club expects him to play. The 24-year-old defensive midfielder was presented before Newcastle’s Carabao Cup win over West Bromwich Albion, with head coach Matthias Jaissle describing a prolonged effort to secure a player he had personally targeted.

Gonzalez joined Manchester City from Porto for £50m and was once labelled “mini-Rodri” by Pep Guardiola, but struggled for regular starts after Rodri returned from injury. Former City assistant Kolo Toure said Gonzalez excels at pressing, regaining possession and reading play, while his willingness to learn should help him develop further at Newcastle.