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Manchester City's Nico Gonzalez has welcomed the serious competition for places in midfield at the club despite ongoing speculation concerning his immediate future at the Etihad Stadium. This summer has seen several notable changes within the Etihad Stadium playing squad, but most notably in the coaching department as Enzo Maresca takes charge as the new manager following Pep Guardiola's exit. Joining the legendary Catalan through the exit doors has also been a number of high-profile players with the departures of Bernardo Silva and John Stones initially through the expiry of their respective contracts, as well as Nathan Ake, Rodri, and Tijjani Reijnders, whilst the sole big-money additions has been £116 million club-record signing Elliot Anderson. Elsewhere in the centre of the park, Nico Gonzalez only joined Manchester City himself from FC Porto on a four-and-a-half-year deal for a reported fee of £50 million back in February last year. Despite starting 28 of his 41 appearances for Manchester City in the 2025/26 campaign, the Spaniard fell behind in Pep Guardiola’s midfield pecking order during the second-half of the season. And now, with Enzo Maresca taking over, questions surrounding the 24-year-old’s role and game time under the Italian have surfaced, alongside doubts over his future. Nico Gonzalez, however, has simultaneously confirmed that he does not ‘want to leave’ and is ‘happy’ at Manchester City. “I think the club wants me to stay,” says Nico Gonzalez Earlier this month, while speaking after Manchester City’s 3-1 win over K-League All Stars during the club's pre-season tour of Hong Kong and South Korea, Nico Gonzalez addressed rumours of a potential exit, expressing confidence in the club hierarchy’s intentions of retaining him. "I’m happy here," insisted Gonzalez. "I don’t want to leave and I think the club wants me to stay. I haven’t seen anything but I’m happy here. I don’t think any player has the position guaranteed for all the matches. Everyone has to work hard." The midfielder further explained that while internal competition exists in every position within the Manchester City squad, his priority involves being ready to perform when he is called up over focusing on securing regular game time. "We are one of the best teams in the world and obviously there is competition in every position," he added. "That is what makes us be in the position that we are, winning so many Premier Leagues and competing for everything. "I try not to focus on if I play or not. I try to focus on working well and being ready when I have to play. To be honest, last season I couldn’t have expected to have played almost 30 matches in the starting XI. He concluded, "I played really good and I am happy here. I’m happy because I’ve had many opportunities." Are Manchester City open to parting ways with Nico Gonzalez? Newcastle United have emerged as the latest concrete suitor for Nico Gonzalez in the final days of the 2026 summer transfer window, with The Athletic’s David Ornstein suggesting that the Magpies are in talks with Manchester City to potentially acquire his signature. Along with the rest of their squad, City’s midfield is also in the middle of a rebuild, particularly after Rodri’s transfer to FC Barcelona and Tijjani Reijnders’ move to Saudi Pro League side Al Qadsiah were both confirmed this week. Reports have suggested that Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi has agreed personal terms with Manchester City and an official announcement could be made soon as the two clubs work towards an agreement on a transfer fee, while Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez has been heavily linked to a reunion with Enzo Maresca. While Nico Gonzalez has seemingly clarified his intentions, Manchester City could consider letting go of the Spanish talent to make space for new signings and essentially build a fresh midfield under Enzo Maresca. Overall, the FC Barcelona academy graduate has so far made 59 appearances during which he recorded four goals for Manchester City, and while he remains contracted until the summer of 2029, it is yet to be seen whether faith will be restored in him beyond this summer.