Nico Gonzalez arrives at Newcastle United carrying the experience of a Manchester City education that shaped him into a more rounded midfielder, even if regular first-team football proved elusive during his time at the Etihad Stadium.
The Spaniard's Premier League introduction came against Newcastle themselves, a year and a half ago, when he made his City debut in a 4-0 victory. Despite being cautioned about the physical intensity Newcastle's midfield unit typically brings, Gonzalez looked entirely comfortable, completing 100 passes and playing a role in stifling the visitors' attempts to break forward.
That performance offered an early indication of the all-round qualities that persuaded City to part with £50m to sign him from Porto. Pep Guardiola, City's manager at the time, went as far as calling him "our mini-Rodri" while the Spanish international Rodri was sidelined through injury.
However, once Rodri returned to fitness, consistent starting opportunities became harder to find for Gonzalez. Despite this, former City assistant manager Kolo Toure believes the daily competition with one of the world's premier defensive midfielders proved invaluable to his development.
"When you are in competition against players like Rodri, you learn a lot because you come up against them in training and you have to show the manager you are better than them," Toure said. "You learn from things they do as well and, on the ball, he learned a lot from Rodri. Without the ball he's really good because he can press, get it back and read the game really well."
Toure went further, suggesting Gonzalez's ball-winning instincts may even surpass those of his former teammate. "He has this capacity to steal the ball from opponents, which is top. He's better than Rodri at this in my opinion, but Rodri on the ball is the best in the world. Both of them have different qualities and different strengths."
Gonzalez reportedly maintained a strong bond with Rodri during their time together and was realistic about the limited opportunities available in his position at a club competing for major trophies. With Rodri now having departed for Barcelona, City's new head coach Enzo Maresca has moved to strengthen the midfield by signing Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, adding to the earlier arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. The club is also believed to be considering a move for Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez.
Leaving Manchester City was reportedly not a straightforward decision for Gonzalez, given how settled he had become there. Yet Newcastle now represents a chance for him to establish himself as a central figure and continue the growth that has defined his career path.
Toure praised the player's hunger for self-improvement as a defining trait. "His mentality is top," he 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. He wanted me to show him and I wanted to help him because he was demanding in that way. You want to have players like this because they want to see what they do well and not well, and are open to criticism. He's going to keep on improving because of his mentality."
That willingness to adapt was evident earlier in his career too, when he left boyhood club Barcelona after a decade in their academy system to pursue first-team opportunities. A productive loan spell at Valencia preceded his permanent transfer to Porto at 21, which eventually paved the way for his switch to the Premier League with Manchester City.
Former Barcelona B teammate Roger Riera credited Gonzalez's willingness to test himself in different leagues for broadening his footballing outlook. "Nico has seen different countries and different styles of football," Riera said. "He's added a lot of things to his game, which have made him a more complete player. He is a better package now."
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.