City sign Porto star for 49m in last-minute deal

Manchester City have taken their spending in the winter transfer window to 172m by bringing in Nico Gonzalez from Porto for 49m.

- RICHARD JOLLY

The Premier League champions, who have been the biggest spenders of the window, belatedly signed a midfielder just before the deadline by buying the 23-year-old Spaniard.

Gonzalez has signed a four-and-a-half year contract at the Etihad Stadium and has become City’s fourth signing in 15 days.

He joins £59m forward Omar Marmoush, £33m centre-back Abdudokir Khusanov and £29m defender Vitor Reis as the additions in Pep Guardiola’s new year spending spree.

City have been short of young legs at the centre of the pitch, with Guardiola describing his midfield last week as “old”, in the extended absence of the injured Rodri.

They had originally hoped to get through the rest of the season without buying a midfielder but were forced to recruit as they struggled, losing 11 games since the end of October, dropping out of the top four in the Premier League and only finishing 22nd in the Champions League group stage.

But they described Gonzalez as the "ideal acquisition". They had considered a number of other midfielders and were interested in loaning Douglas Luiz, but Juventus would not let the Brazilian go without an obligation to buy him.