Wolves eyeing loan move for 20-year-old Barcelona midfielder, player open to leaving

After the departure of Ilaix Moriba, Barcelona were almost immediately blessed with the arrival of Gavi and Nico Gonzalez simultaneously. The former was still 16 when he made his senior debut, while the latter was arguably the best player for the B team in the previous season.

While he played largely as a defensive midfielder for the reserve side during the 2020/21 campaign, Nico was deployed as a central midfielder by Ronald Koeman and Xavi. However, there was an evident decrease in his importance as Xavi came along.

Now, he faces even more competition in midfield as Barcelona have acquired the services of Franck Kessie and are looking to retain Miralem Pjanic for next season. SPORT report that Wolverhampton Wanderers are ready to offer him a way out of Barça, on loan.

Nico is also open to the move, as he understands that the midfield is ‘overbooked’ as of now. Pjanic will probably serve as Sergio Busquets’ deputy, while Frenkie de Jong, Franck Kessie, Pedri, and Gavi compete for two spots in midfield.

Not to mention that Barcelona are unphased about acquiring Bernardo Silva from Manchester City, who will be an undisputed starter.

Barça Universal’s take

If Barcelona have to choose between Pjanic and Nico for next season, the latter is an obvious choice. Not only is he younger, but his skill set is also far more diverse than the Bosnian.

That said, Nico cannot back Busquets up as well as Pjanic does. Should he decide to leave, it is best if it is on loan, without an option to buy.

At Wolverhampton, he will have the chance to learn from Joao Moutinho, one of the finest central midfielders of the past decade. However, the team probably does not match his style.

Not to mention in the Premier League, he will always face a lot more media pressure than in La Liga. Francisco Trincao also underwent a similar issue last season, eventually crumbling under pressure.

Barcelona must deal with this situation delicately, finding the best possible suitor for Nico if he does have to leave.