\n<\/p>\n
Gonzalez had a close relationship with Rodri and long humbly recognised that only a select number of players can start in his position at clubs bidding to challenge for the biggest honours.<\/p>\n
Rodri was that man at Manchester City<\/a> under Guardiola and, following the midfielder’s move to Barcelona, new manager Enzo Maresca has signed Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille<\/a>, having already brought in Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest<\/a>.<\/p>\n The club also look set to make a bid for Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez<\/a>.<\/p>\n It was still not easy for Gonzalez to leave Manchester City<\/a>, where he felt settled, but Newcastle<\/a> will give him the platform he has been longing for as a key player.<\/p>\n The enthusiastic Spaniard sees this as an opportunity to develop further, which has always been a driver.<\/p>\n “His mentality is top,” Toure said. “I would review games individually with the players and every time I had my laptop and sat next to him, he was so open to learning.<\/p>\n “He wanted me to show him and I wanted to help him because he was demanding in that way.<\/p>\n “You want to have players like this because they want to see what they do well and not well, and are open to criticism.<\/p>\n “He’s going to keep on improving because of his mentality.”<\/p>\n Gonzalez certainly did so when he left Barcelona, where his professional career started, and has such experience to fall back on.<\/p>\n Having spent a decade at Barca, and risen through the ranks, Gonzalez ultimately had to depart to truly flourish elsewhere.<\/p>\n Following a successful loan spell at Valencia, he joined Porto on a permanent basis at the age of 21 before earning a move to Manchester City<\/a>.<\/p>\n Former Barcelona B team-mate Roger Riera feels he has developed “another vision” as a result.<\/p>\n “Nico has seen different countries and different styles of football,” he said. “He’s added a lot of things to his game, which have made him a more complete player.<\/p>\n “He is a better package now.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n