FC Barcelona Agree To Sell First Team Midfielder: Reports

FC Barcelona have agreed to sell one of their midfielders according to SPORT and Mundo Deportivo.

Nico Gonzalez was one of the many young stars from La Masia elevated to the first team squad by Ronald Koeman in 2021.

He came up alongside the likes of Alejandro Balde and Gavi. But whereas those two prodigies have managed to nail down their places in the first XI, and are also established Spain internationals who traveled to the World Cup, their compatriot Nico has been unable to replicate his fellow academy graduates’ trajectory.

When Koeman was dismissed a couple of months after their promotion, the son of Deportivo de La Coruna legend Fran started to receive reduced playing time under the Dutchman’s successor Xavi Hernandez despite the legendary number 6 considering him an “important player” according to SPORT.

Nico was part of the preseason tour to the United States in 2022, and played a half in the Joan Gamper trophy when replacing Sergio Busquets at half time.

In mid-August, however, a loan assignment at Valencia was swiftly arranged following the signing a contract extension with the Catalans.

Returning to his boyhood club this summer, Nico will have hoped there was space for him to make his breakthrough with Busquets now departed to join Lionel Messi at Inter Miami.

This week, though, the 21-year-old has seen ex-Girona veteran Oriol Romeu signed in defensive midfield and was told by Xavi that he doesn’t feature in his plans according to Catalunya Radio.

At least allowed to cross the Atlantic with the squad last year, Nico didn’t have a seat on the plane that headed stateside on Wednesday for four friendlies against Juventus, Real Madrid, Arsenal and AC Milan over an eleven-day period.

This is because a move away from the club is being engineered by the player’s representative Jorge Mendes according to Catalonia’s two main outlets.

It was previously reported by Mundo Deportivo that Nico would be sent out on another temporary assignment to Real Betis, but with the Portuguese agent using the contacts he has at one of his country’s biggest clubs, Nico looks set to be sold to Porto after they agreed a transfer of just under €10 million ($11.1 million) with Barca.

While he was reluctant to jump ship permanently at first, Nico has given his thumbs up to the operation with the only sticking point how much he will be paid.

Nico will have to lower his salary expectations, and receive less on a four-year contract than what Barca pay him at present.

One interesting caveat is that the Blaugrana finally appear to have learned their lesson from letting former students from La Masia, such as Jordi Alba and Dani Olmo for example, slip through the net.

While Alba was at least recaptured from Valencia in 2012, cash-strapped Barca have been continuously priced out of an approach for Olmo now plying his trade at RB Leipzig.

In the Nico transfer, they have reportedly inserted a buyback clause which means that their soon-to-be former charge can be acquired again if he fulfils his potential.

This could prove important when the aging Romeu – 32 in September – starts to wind down in a couple of years, as Barca still might not have the cash to go after someone like Martin Zumbimendi who has a €60 million ($66.8 million) release clause at Real Sociedad.

Barca’s economic woes meant they couldn’t sign Zumbimendi this summer nor Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich, and had to settle for Romeu instead – though it must be noted that both men expressed a desire to continue with their current employers.

At Porto, Nico will regularly compete for the Portuguese Primeira Liga title and feature in the Champions League adding to experience that would not be gathered warming the bench at Camp Nou.