Nico Gonzalez is reportedly on the verge of leaving Barcelona on a season-long loan deal, with a move across La Liga to Valencia on the cards.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Nico Gonzalez will continue his progress at Valencia CF in the 2022/23 season. Los Che will soon sign the 20-year-old whizkid from fellow La Liga club Barcelona after the two clubs reached an agreement over a year-long loan deal.
Nico Gonzalez has been with Barcelona since joining their famed La Masia academy as an 11-year-old in 2013. The Spanish wonderkid has made remarkable progress in the decade that has passed since then, with the Blaugrana scrambling to retain his services last summer before tying him to a new contract.
The 20-year-old has benefitted from Barcelona’s financial struggles in the last few years, and he made 36 appearances for the Catalan club in the 2021/22 campaign. But Nico will unlikely feature prominently for Barcelona in the 2022/23 season, with the Blaugrana signing Franck Kessie this summer and keenly pursuing a move for Bernardo Silva.
Silva’s potential arrival will leave Nico teetering at the bottom of the pecking order for midfielders at Camp Nou. The Spanish whizkid is thus looking to leave Barcelona temporarily to continue his progress, with La Liga club Valencia keen on securing his services in the ongoing transfer window.
Gennaro Gattuso has a few concerns to address in his squad this summer, and reinforcing the midfield department is one of his primary objectives. Hugo Guillamon and Carlos Soler are in the final year of their respective contracts, while Uros Racic tends to blow hot and cold. The Valencia boss is thus eager to bring in a new midfielder for the 2022/23 season.
Lucas Torreira was initially the top target for Valencia, but the Uruguayan midfielder has joined Galatasaray this summer. But several alternatives remain on Los Che’s radar, including Tiemoue Bakayoko, with Nico Gonzalez also emerging as an option worth considering. And the Barcelona whizkid had been pushing to move to the Mestalla, with the Blaugrana reaching an agreement with their fellow La Liga club over a loan deal.
The 20-year-old midfield sensation will join Valencia for the 2022/23 season, with Los Che not having the option to sign him permanently. The decision is understandable, considering Nico will likely be Sergio Busquets’s long-term successor in the coming years at FC Barcelona.
