Barcelona have officially announced the contract renewal of 20-year-old midfielder Nico Gonzalez until 2026. The player’s initial contract was supposed to end in 2024, but is now tied down to the club for four years.
His new buy-out clause stands at €1 billion, equal to Ansu Fati, Pedri, and Ronald Araujo.
Further, Nico has left on loan to Valencia for the 2022/23 season. Barcelona have not allowed for a purchase option in the deal and are likely to pay part of the player’s salary while he spends the season with Los Che.
The Spaniard was handed his debut by Ronald Koeman last season, and became an important player for the club. However, his stocks fell through the season, especially under Xavi.
With the arrival of Franck Kessie this summer, Nico’s game-time had to be inevitably reduced, and thus he asked Xavi to leave on loan. He believes this loan spell could give him an entry into the Spanish national team at the World Cup.