News from Italy that Newcastle United have made an offer for Nico Gonzalez.
The exclusive comes from La Nazione.
They report that Newcastle United have made a formal bid for the Fiorentina winger.
However, La Nazione says that their information is that this bid is actually less than the £36m Brentford offered last summer for Nico Gonzalez, with the expectation that Newcastle United see this just as an opening bid and will come back with a higher offer that will more likely be accepted.
They add that their understanding is that Newcastle will be selling Miguel Almiron to help finance the deal.
Nico Gonzalez is still on extended holiday after helping Argentina win the Copa America, the right winger making five appearances in the competition, two starts and three from the bench.
Now 26, the winger was signed for £20m from Stuttgart three years ago.
After last season ended, Fiorentina Sporting Director Daniele Prade declared in early June 2024 that Nico Gonzalez was ‘99% unsellable’ because of his importance to the team/club. However, the Italian media say that it appears there has been some movement away from that near-unsellable claim, indicating that Fiorentina could be set to cash in on their prize asset.
Newcastle United fans have actually seen Nico Gonzalez in the flesh, as he played in the 2-0 Fiorentina defeat last August when Sandro Tonali made his first appearance at St James’ Park.
In 60 Serie A starts (and 26 sub appearances), Nico Gonzales has had 34 direct goal involvements (scoring 25 and nine assists) these past three seasons, averaging one every 165 minutes.
Last season was his most productive yet, 14 direct goal involvements (scoring 12 and two assists) in 1,914 Serie A minutes, averaging one every 136 minutes, so basically two in every three games’ worth of minutes.
If there is real substance to this transfer story, I think this would be the kind of level of quality Newcastle United fans would be hoping for on the right wing.
That is the position which is universally accepted as being where Eddie Howe is looking to bring in a new first-choice option and the 26-year-old Nico Gonzalez looks good for it. With then right centre-back the next most pressing position, but that is for somebody to come in and compete with Fabian Schar this coming season, then longer-term become automatic first-choice.
