Manchester City secured the signature of midfielder Nico Gonzalez from Porto on Monday’s transfer deadline day in a major move, while Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel joined Tottenham on loan.
City’s midfield struggles in the absence of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, who is sidelined for the season with a serious knee injury, were exposed during their heavy 5-1 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday. The Premier League champions are now fifth in the league, 15 points behind leaders Liverpool, and are battling for a Champions League spot.
In need of reinforcements, particularly ahead of their Champions League showdown with holders Real Madrid, City moved swiftly to sign the 23-year-old Gonzalez for a reported fee of 60 million euros (£50 million, $62 million).
“This is the perfect opportunity for me at this stage of my career,” said Gonzalez, who expressed excitement at the prospect of working with Pep Guardiola. “I know the reputation Pep has, and I cannot wait to work with him. In fact, I am honoured he wants me to play in his team.”

City had already spent over £120 million in January, bringing in Egypt forward Omar Marmoush and young defenders Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov.
Tottenham were also active, adding Mathys Tel to their injury-hit squad after a last-minute decision from the Bayern Munich forward. Tel had previously turned down a move to Spurs earlier in the window, despite agreeing on a £50 million deal with the German giants. However, the 21-year-old French forward has now agreed to join the north London club on loan until the end of the season, with an option to make the move permanent next summer.
However, Spurs were frustrated in their attempts to bolster their defense, with Crystal Palace rejecting a £70 million bid for Marc Guehi, whose contract is set to expire in 2025. Chelsea’s Axel Disasi, also linked with Spurs, ultimately moved to Aston Villa instead.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa were another big mover on deadline day, securing the loan of Marco Asensio from Paris Saint-Germain. The Spanish winger, a three-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, joins Villa after the departure of Jhon Duran to Saudi Arabia. Asensio’s arrival complements the loan signing of Marcus Rashford from Manchester United, strengthening Unai Emery’s attacking options.
Despite significant transfer activity around them, Premier League title challengers Liverpool and Arsenal were quiet on deadline day, with Arsenal’s bid for Ollie Watkins turned down by Villa. Manchester United were also inactive, with manager Ruben Amorim wary of breaching financial rules and reportedly deterred by Bayern’s loan fee for Tel.
Elsewhere, Wolverhampton Wanderers made two late signings: Marshall Munetsi from Reims and Nasser Djiga from Red Star Belgrade. Everton brought in Carlos Alcaraz from Flamengo on loan, while West Ham added Brighton striker Evan Ferguson on loan.
Crystal Palace strengthened their squad with the loan signing of former England left-back Ben Chilwell from Chelsea.