Newcastle United<\/a> have now opened talks to sign Manchester City midfielder Nico Gonzalez, who could be brought in as an alternative to Bayern Munich’s Joao Palhinha.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Having lost Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali this summer, Newcastle are doing their best to rebuild their midfield, and they have already signed 18-year-old Sean Steur from Ajax, while 20-year-old Aladji Bamba left AS Monaco to move to St. James’ Park.<\/p>\n However, with both midfielders still very young, it would be a savvy move to bring in a more experienced midfielder, and Palhinha could be a solid option, considering the former Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur man has 101 Premier League<\/a> appearances to his name.<\/p>\n Aston Villa<\/a> have opened talks to sign the Portuguese maestro though, which has led the Magpies to search for alternative options, and Gonzalez has emerged as a shock target, despite failing to make an impact since signing for Man City.<\/p>\n The 24-year-old wasn’t one of the first names on the teamsheet last season, featuring for just 1,567 minutes across the Premier League<\/a> season, but he earned plaudits from Esteemed Kompany host Steven Mcinerney after impressing in a 3-1 victory against AFC Bournemouth in November.<\/p>\n Not only that, but the Spaniard’s average of 2.4 tackles per 90 in the Premier League was the joint-highest figure in the squad, and slightly higher than Guimaraes’ average of 2.3.<\/p>\n In fact, only one of Eddie Howe’s players was more consistent in terms of dispossessing the opposition.<\/p>\n Ranking<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Newcastle’s top tacklers<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Average per 90<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 1.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Jacob Ramsey<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 2.6<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 2.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Bruno Guimaraes<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 2.3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 3.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Lewis Hall<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 2.2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 4.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Joelinton<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 2.0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 5.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Joe Willock<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1.8<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n The Man City midfielder scored just two goals in all competitions, but his defensive attributes mean he could be a solid replacement for Guimaraes, and the Magpies are ramping up their pursuit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n According to a report from TEAMtalk, Newcastle have now opened talks to sign Gonzalez, as they remain keen on signing another midfielder, despite bringing in Bamba and Steur.<\/p>\n Palhinha is now in talks about a return to Portugal, with Benfica keen, whereas Marseille midfielder Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg rejected a move to St. James’ Park, which means Matthias Jaissle’s side have been forced to expand their search.<\/p>\n There is a feeling the Man City maestro, who rakes in \u00a375,000-a-week<\/a> will be viewed as ‘surplus to requirements’ by new manager Enzo Maresca, and he is now open to leaving the 2026 FA Cup and EFL Cup winners, with a move to St. James’ Park of interest.<\/p>\n Gonzalez joined City for \u00a352m back in February 2025, but it is unclear what sort of fee they would need to receive to sanction a sale.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Newcastle open surprise talks to sign Nico Gonzalez<\/strong>
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