"Might be the best signing" - Nico Gonzalez hailed by Troy Deeney after BBC pick
Nico Gonzalez has been named in Troy Deeney’s BBC Premier League Team of the Week after impressing in Sunday's 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.
The £52m midfielder earned special praise from the former Watford striker, who suggested Gonzalez could prove to be Newcastle’s "best signing" thanks to his ability to control games and complement the pace around him.
Deeney explains Gonzalez selection
Deeney was particularly impressed by Gonzalez’s composure and ability to dictate the tempo at Selhurst Park, highlighting how important that skill set could be to Matthias Jaissle’s plans at St James’ Park.
Nico was a class act in yesterday's win, regaining possession high up the pitch in the build-up to Barnes' goal and keeping Adam Wharton quiet for the hosts.
In his latest BBC Sport column, Deeney wrote this after selecting Gonzalez in his TOTW:
“Gonzalez might be the best signing that Newcastle have made, because they’ve got all these young players that have got pace, speed, good in the wide areas.
"The manager wants it to be like the the Red Bull [Salzburg] team of old, which is sprinting more and all of that fun stuff.
"You need someone that can just control the game, one and two touch, and Nico Gonzalez absolutely does that. I thought he was exceptional.”
Gonzalez may only be 24, but he feels like a wise head on relatively young shoulders, especially amongst a group of new signings from abroad with limited experience in the Premier League.
Troy Deeney’s BBC Team of the Week
Gonzalez is one of 11 players selected by Deeney, with Bournemouth and Aston Villa particularly well represented after they enjoyed wins over the two Manchester clubs over the weekend.
Goalkeeper
- Zion Suzuki (Aston Villa)
Defenders
- Matty Cash (Aston Villa)
- James Hill (Bournemouth)
- Ezri Konsa (Arsenal)
- Adrien Truffert (Bournemouth)
Midfielders
- Shea Charles (Fulham)
- Nico Gonzalez (Newcastle United)
- Marcus Tavernier (Bournemouth)
Forwards
- Rayan (Bournemouth)
- Mathys Tel (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Nicolas Jackson (Aston Villa)
Manager: Marco Rose (Bournemouth)
Gonzalez produced his best display since his debut at Spurs on Sunday. Hopefully that is a sign of things to come as we seek greater calmness and control in the middle of the pitch in the weeks ahead.
