Barcelona midfield prospect Nico Gonzalez has confirmed his loan move to Valencia and is hoping to play in their season opener against newly-promoted club Girona on Sunday evening.
Nico had looked likely to stay put at Camp Nou this summer despite there being some speculations about his future. However, once Xavi Hernandez decided to keep hold of Miralem Pjanic at the club, the 20-year-old’s situation became difficult as game-time would have been hard to come by.
So, Nico decided to leave the club and play elsewhere on loan for the upcoming campaign. There had been interest from Premier League club Wolves, but the La Masia graduate opted to sign for Valencia instead.
An agreement for his loan move to Los Che had been struck earlier this week and the midfielder travelled to Valencia today to complete his medical.
The move will be finalised imminently before an official announcement is made. But ahead of that, Nico himself confirmed the loan transfer when he spoke to the media just a while ago, claiming that he was excited to start his new journey.
Speaking to COPE, the Spanish midfielder said: “I’m very happy, I’m very excited to get started [with Valencia].”
When quizzed if he had spoken to Valencia manager Gennaro Gattuso ahead of his move to the Mestalla, Nico answered: “I’ve already had a conversation with him. I have a great feeling about working with him.”
The 20-year-old then added that he could make his debut for Valencia this weekend, when they lock horns with Girona on Sunday evening, if all goes well, saying: “I hope to get some minutes.”
A product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth academy, Nico made his first-team breakthrough last season. He made 36 appearances across all competitions, scoring and assisting two goals apiece.
Given the overbooking of midfielders at Camp Nou, a loan move is perhaps the best decision for Nico as he will stand to gain valuable experience by playing regularly.