Nico González: Biography, Salary, Net Worth, Career, And Transfer History

Some football careers explode onto the scene with viral goals or dramatic interviews. Others—like Nico González’s—unfold more like a slow-burn novel. You don’t necessarily notice the first few chapters… but by the time you’re halfway through, you realize you’ve been watching something special the whole time.

From kicking a ball around in A Coruña to wearing the sky-blue shirt of Manchester City, Nico’s journey is a case study in patience, quiet progress, and the occasional surprise twist that would make even Netflix jealous. Let’s take a friendly stroll through his biography, career, transfer history, and the numbers behind his growing net worth.

Early Days – Football in the Family

Born on January 3, 2002, in the coastal city of A Coruña, Spain, Nicolás González Iglesias—known to most simply as Nico—grew up with football in his blood. And not just in the “I kicked a ball in my backyard” sense—his father, Fran González, was a bona fide Deportivo La Coruña legend.

If you’re the son of a football hero in a football-mad town, one of two things happens:

1. You rebel and do something completely different.

2. You fall in love with the game even more.

For Nico, option two was inevitable.

He began his youth career with Montañeros, a local club, at just seven years old. Four years later, scouts from Barcelona’s world-famous La Masia academy came calling. Imagine being 11 years old and swapping your hometown for one of the most prestigious football schools on the planet. Big move.

La Masia Years – Learning the Barca Way

La Masia isn’t just a training ground—it’s a philosophy factory. Here, Nico learned the Barca way: precise passing, patience on the ball, intelligent movement. It’s where names like Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets were molded.

From 2013 to 2020, Nico worked his way through the age groups. He wasn’t the flashiest player, but there was something different about him—calmness under pressure, a good read of the game, and the ability to quietly control midfield battles.

In 2019, he started getting minutes with Barcelona B in Spain’s third tier. It was his first taste of professional football, and while his stats weren’t eye-popping—26 appearances, no goals—his composure stood out. Coaches knew he was the type you could build a midfield around.

Breaking Into the Barcelona First Team

Nico’s big break came in the 2021–22 season, when Barcelona were navigating financial troubles and relying more heavily on youth talent. He made 27 league appearances that season, scoring twice. Not bad for a kid still adjusting to top-flight football.

Fans saw glimpses of something Busquets-like in his play:

• Not overly flashy

• Always available for a pass

• Good vision to pick out teammates

• Strong defensive positioning

But opportunities at Barcelona can be complicated. With competition in midfield and the club juggling its own rebuild, Nico’s playing time wasn’t always guaranteed.

Loan to Valencia – Growing Up the Hard Way

In the summer of 2022, Nico joined Valencia CF on loan for the season. This was his first move away from the Barcelona bubble and a chance to prove he could hold his own without the safety net of La Masia’s system.

At Valencia, he made 26 appearances and scored once. More importantly, he learned to adapt: the football was more direct, the defensive work more intense, and the expectations different. It wasn’t glamorous, but it toughened him up.

Transfer to Porto – A Fresh Chapter

By July 2023, Barcelona decided to sell Nico to FC Porto for €8.5 million. It was a big step: new country, new language, new style of football.

The deal included a €30 million buyback clause for Barcelona and a 40% sell-on clause, meaning the Catalan club would still profit if Porto sold him for more later.

At Porto, Nico found something magical—consistency. He became a regular starter almost instantly, playing in the Portuguese league, domestic cups, and the Champions League.

Key Porto Stats:

• 2023–24: 25 league matches, 2 goals. Helped Porto win the Taça de Portugal and the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.

• 2024–25 (first half): 17 league matches, 5 goals—showing an increasingly attacking side to his game.

Fans started noticing: “Hey, this guy isn’t just a defensive midfielder. He can actually score.”

Manchester City – The Big Leap

Deadline Day, February 3, 2025: Manchester City announce they’ve triggered Nico González’s €60 million release clause.

The move was partly a reaction to Rodri’s long-term injury, but Pep Guardiola doesn’t sign players just to fill space. Nico’s intelligence, versatility, and La Masia upbringing made him a natural fit for City’s intricate passing game.

The Contract:

• Length: 4½ years

• Reported Weekly Salary: ~£60,000

• Estimated Annual Earnings: ~£3.1 million

• Deal Value: A significant upgrade from his Porto pay packet of ~£28,000/week.

For Porto, it was a smart business move. They’d bought him for €8.5m, sold him for €60m, and—thanks to some earlier negotiations with Barcelona—kept almost all the profit. For Barcelona… well, let’s just say their accountants weren’t thrilled.

Career Stats Snapshot

Here’s the condensed version of Nico’s journey so far:

(*as of early 2025)

Playing Style – Why Coaches Love Him

Nico isn’t the type to trend on Twitter for a rainbow flick or a 40-yard screamer. Instead, he’s the glue that holds a midfield together.

Strengths:

• Positional awareness: Always in the right place to break up play.

• Passing range: Can ping it short or switch play with longer passes.

• Composure: Rarely panics, even under pressure.

• Height advantage: At 1.88m, useful for aerial duels in both boxes.

He’s been compared to Sergio Busquets, but with a slightly more physical edge—thanks to his time in Portugal’s more combative league.

Salary & Net Worth – The Numbers Game

Before the City move, Nico’s salary at Porto was around £1.46 million annually. Now, at Manchester City, estimates put him closer to £3.1 million per year.

As for his net worth, different sources throw around figures between £4 million and £10 million. Given his age (23) and the upward trajectory of his career, that’s only going to rise—especially if he nails down a long-term spot in City’s starting XI.

Transfer History Recap

• 2013: Montañeros → Barcelona (youth) – Free

• 2019: Promoted to Barcelona B – Free (academy graduate)

• 2021: Barcelona B → Barcelona senior – Free (promotion)

• 2022: Barcelona → Valencia (loan) – No fee

• 2023: Barcelona → Porto – €8.5m

• 2025: Porto → Manchester City – €60m

That’s a €68.5m career transfer value so far—and he’s just getting started.

Personality & Life Off the Pitch

While some young footballers court the spotlight, Nico’s style off the pitch is almost the opposite. He’s private, grounded, and comes across as someone who prefers letting his football do the talking.

Much of this probably comes from his upbringing. Being the son of Fran González meant he grew up seeing both the glamour and the grind of professional football. That’s shaped him into a player who understands patience and professionalism are as important as talent.

Looking Ahead – What’s Next for Nico?

At Manchester City, the opportunities are endless—but so is the competition. If he adapts well, he could:

• Become a rotation partner (and eventual successor) to Rodri.

• Add Premier League and Champions League medals to his growing list of honours.

• Increase his market value even further, possibly crossing the €80–90m mark in the next few years.

And who knows? With his steady improvement, he might become a regular starter for Spain’s national team too.

Final Thoughts – The Rise of the Quiet Achiever

Nico González’s career so far is proof that you don’t need fireworks to build a stellar football journey. From La Masia to Valencia, Porto, and now Manchester City, he’s taken every step in stride, learning, adapting, and quietly improving.

At 23, with a big contract and a place in one of the world’s best squads, Nico has entered the prime years of his career. If his steady rise so far is anything to go by, the next chapters could be his most exciting yet.