"I have a great feeling" - Barcelona midfielder confirms move to La Liga rivals and is hoping to play on Sunday
Spanish midfielder Nico Gonzalez has effectively confirmed that he will be joining Valencia on loan from Barcelona for the upcoming season.
As per Barca Universal, the Blaugrana reached an agreement with Los Che regarding a season-long loan deal last week. Gonzalez is reported to have completed his medical with the club on August 10.
While neither club has officially announced the move, the 20-year-old indicated that he is looking forward to playing for Valencia. Gonzalez said during an interview with COPE (as quoted by Barca Universal):
“I’m very happy, I’m very excited to get started [with Valencia].”
The Spaniard added that he had spoken to Los Che manager and legendary AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso as well, stating:
“I’ve already had a conversation with him. I have a great feeling about working with him.”
Gonzalez also expressed his hope of making his debut for Valencia this weekend. Gattuso's troops kick off their 2022-23 La Liga campaign with a clash against Girona FC at the Mestalla on Sunday, August 14. Gonzalez said:
“I hope to get some minutes.”
Nico Gonzalez: "If I think I can play on Sunday? I hope to get some minutes." https://t.co/8Fv4y2sNgz
The young midfielder joins an engine room that boasts the likes of Carlos Soler and Yunus Musah. He will look to help Valencia improve on their ninth-placed finish in La Liga from last season.
Nico Gonzalez enjoyed a breakout campaign with Barcelona last season
Another product of Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, Gonzalez broke into the club's first team last season after impressing for their B team. The Spaniard enjoyed a solid campaign, scoring two goals and laying out two assists in 36 appearances across all competitions.
Many fans of the Blaugrana expected the midfielder to stay at the club this season and operate as veteran holding midfielder Sergio Busquets' deputy. However, Franck Kessie's arrival on a free transfer and Miralem Pjanic's return from a loan provided Xavi Hernandez with more options in the position.
Consequently, Gonzalez is now set to be loaned out to Valencia with Barcelona hoping the midfielder gets more gametime to improve his craft. Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano reported that the deal will be a straight loan, with the Catalan giants not adding an option to buy in the deal.
🦇 #transfers
Barcelona and Valencia are signing documents for Nico deal. Agreement reached on loan until June 2023, no buy option. 🚨⚪️🦇 #transfers
Nico will extend the contract before leaving Barça, green light arrived today. https://t.co/E33KoYHRi0
Gonzalez is also expected to extend his contract at the Nou Camp before joining Los Che. His current deal with Barcelona runs until the summer of 2024.