Newcastle make shock move to sign £75,000-a-week Palhinha alternative

Newcastle United 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.

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.

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 appearances to his name.

Aston Villa 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.

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 season, but he earned plaudits from Esteemed Kompany host Steven Mcinerney after impressing in a 3-1 victory against AFC Bournemouth in November.

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.

In fact, only one of Eddie Howe’s players was more consistent in terms of dispossessing the opposition.

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.

Newcastle open surprise talks to sign Nico Gonzalez

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.

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.

There is a feeling the Man City maestro, who rakes in £75,000-a-week 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.

Gonzalez joined City for £52m back in February 2025, but it is unclear what sort of fee they would need to receive to sanction a sale.