The sale of the Argentine winger is pivotal for Juventus to acquire Jadon Sancho. While Saudi club Al-Ahli has made an appealing offer, calls from Inter Milan are also tempting him.
Initially courted, pursued, and finally acquired after a long struggle, Nico Gonzalez arrived at Juventus with high expectations. Less than a year later, however, he has become a surplus, a “bottleneck” that threatens to halt the club`s incoming transfer operations. His standing at Juventus has completely reversed in under 330 days. On August 25, 2024, Juventus announced his arrival from Fiorentina for an €8 million loan fee, with an obligation to buy for €25 million. Coming off a season with 16 goals and 5 assists in 44 appearances for Fiorentina, the Argentine seemed to be the missing piece for Thiago Motta`s attack, promising unpredictability and offensive power to a team that had often lacked it.
Despite a promising start, including a goal and an assist in his Champions League debut against PSV Eindhoven, Gonzalez struggled to establish himself at Juve, partly due to an injury that sidelined him for over two months. Even the arrival of Tudor, under whom he initially performed well as a wide right midfielder and scored crucial goals in the race for fourth place, didn`t break his negative spiral. Now, Tudor`s squad selections during the Club World Cup have clearly indicated that Gonzalez is among the players least suited to his new sporting project.
Where Could Nico Gonzalez Go?
The former Fiorentina player`s modest return (5 goals and 4 assists in 38 matches) hasn`t sparked a bidding war for his services. However, in the past week, Al-Ahli, the reigning Asian champions, has stepped forward. They are prepared to offer Juventus €30 million and a substantial salary to the Argentine. Nico Gonzalez is seriously considering this offer, especially since it would guarantee him consistent playing time in the year leading up to the World Cup.
Complicating matters recently have been calls from Inter Milan to his agents. Inter is considering him as a Plan B should they fail to secure Lookman. Atalanta and Atletico Madrid are also in the background, all of which risks slowing down the negotiations with the Saudi club. Furthermore, none of these other clubs are likely to match Al-Ahli`s offer, which is crucial for Juventus to cover Gonzalez`s remaining book value of over €27 million.
Nico Gonzalez Unblocks Sancho`s Arrival
Indeed, it all boils down to finances. Thanks to the “Decreto crescita” (Growth Decree), the Argentine`s gross salary is not excessively high (€4.72 million), but his amortization cost is almost €7 million per year. Therefore, his departure would free up approximately €12 million in Juventus`s balance sheet – a figure slightly less than the potential cost of Jadon Sancho. “I am here at Juventus to help,” Nico Gonzalez stated last year during his presentation. In this instance, his help would be to leave Continassa and “uncork” Juventus`s transfer market.
