Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in Barcelona midfielder Nicolas Gonzalez, as Julen Lopetegui bids to replenish his squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
It’s been an eventful summer for Wolves, who have rebalanced the books by making close to £80m in sales already, selling Ruben Neves, Conor Coady and Nathan Collins with others speculated to be departing.
The likes of Joao Moutinho, Adama Traore and Diego Costa have also said their goodbyes to Molineux at the expiration of their contracts, leaving room for the former Real Madrid boss to introduce some new talent.
One name that has been uttered with reference to Wolves is Gonzalez, who according to reports in Spain are one of the clubs interested in the young midfielder.
The report claims that the 21-year-old will have pre-season with the Catalan giants before deciding his future, with the Midlands side having a shot at signing the youngster with his agent being Jorge Mendes.
Valued by Football Transfers at €15.7m (£13m), the Spaniard could be an affordable option for Lopetegui’s side.
Where could Nicolas Gonzalez play for Wolves?
After spending last season on loan at Valencia, the 21-year-old added to his game time in La Liga, following a breakthrough campaign at Camp Nou the year before.
While it was a forgettable season for Valencia, it was a stellar opportunity for Gonzalez to gain added experience with consistent game time not necessarily guaranteed at his boyhood club.
With his future uncertain, the Spaniard could venture elsewhere in Europe in the next step of his journey, with Molineux undoubtedly having the potential to nurture the youngster’s talent.
Three things in life are certain, death, taxes and the overwhelming technical ability presented by graduates of La Masia.
Hailed as a “diamond” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the central midfielder graduated from the prestigious academy alongside Barcelona stars Pedri and Gavi and has shown glimpses of just how instrumental a player he could be.
For Wolves, now could be the perfect time to capture the 21-year-old, who could walk into the side in place of the departed Moutinho with the youngster bearing similarities to the Portuguese veteran’s playing style.
The 6 foot 2 central midfielder has skills in distributing and maintaining the ball, as well as providing a combative presence in the engine room, averaging 3.7 total duel wins per game last term.
At 36-years-old, Moutinho has 15 years worth of experience on the Wolves target, however, the youngster has shown he can compete with the Molineux hero as highlighted through their passing statistics over their respective 2022/23 campaigns.
As per FBref, the Spaniard averaged a better pass completion rate per 90 than Moutinho, scoring 86.9% to his 80.4%, as well as completing marginally more passes into the final third with 5.89 to his 5.31 per 90.
Tipped by U23 scout Antonio Mango to be the “heir to Sergio Busquets”, Gonzalez is a whizz in possession as supported by his numbers.
The A Coruna-born gem ranked in the top 6% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues based on his frequency of successful take-ons, averaging 1.79 per 90 to show his ball-carrying abilities in midfield, via FBref.
Lopetegui could sign a talent for the ages in the Spaniard, who could thrive as a regular starter at Molineux in a side crying out for a creative spark to replenish their depleted midfield.