Barcelona midfield prospect on the radars of La Liga rivals – report

Barcelona starlet Nico Gonzalez’s loan tenure at Valencia is set to end at the end of the season. And with uncertainty regarding his future continuing to grow, Sevilla have emerged as one of the clubs interested in his acquisition, as relayed by SPORT.

It must be remembered that the 21-year-old, who joined the fellow La Liga side on loan for the 2022/23 season last summer, signed a new deal with the Blaugrana until 2026 before departing.

While Xavi was understood to be reluctant to let Nico leave, the midfielder pushed for a loan move as he wanted to play regularly, which would not have been possible at Barcelona this season.

As it turns out, Nico has played 16 league games for Valencia this season and has a goal to his name.

For now, there is no guarantee that he will play an important role for Xavi next season, but what is certain is that given the interest he has generated, Barça might as well use him to solve their financial troubles.

Given that Nico’s ongoing deal with Barcelona runs until 2026, his sale can bring in a decent income. On top of that, Sevilla are only the recent entrant in the race, meaning that Barcelona can actually rope in a decent price from the best possible suitor.

Nico, who has been with Barcelona since 2012, exploded as a pivot and made his senior team debut under Ronald Koeman in 2021. In his first full season with the team, he went on to make 37 appearances across all competitions, scoring two goals.

Under Xavi, however, the 21-year-old’s role was reduced due to the reinforcements coming in and this was one of the reasons why he was sent on loan.

It has been reported that Xavi is an admirer of the youngster and would welcome him back into the team next season. At the same time, the player is said to be keen on continuing and succeeding at Camp Nou.

But, given Barcelona’s current state of affairs with regard to Financial Fair Play, it would not come as a surprise if they cash in on him in the summer.

Another factor that could play a role in Nico’s situation would be Sergio Busquets’ future. In case the Barcelona captain does not renew, Barcelona can look at the La Masia prospect as an option for the pivot position, given that they are not in the best of positions to rope in a replacement.