After Rodrigo De Paul officially joined Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, he left a significant gap in Atletico Madrid‘s midfield. With him gone, Atletico are already moving to reinforce their squad with another Argentina star.
According to ESPN, the club is in advanced talks with Juventus over winger Nicolas Gonzalez, another Argentine international. Reports suggest that discussions progressed last week, but the deal is still contingent on Atletico selling a player to balance their books.
Journalist Gaston Edul noted that negotiations remain ongoing. “Atletico de Madrid are negotiating for Nico Gonzalez. Talks advanced last week. The deal could go through if Atleti sell a player. They’re waiting on that. It’s important. There’s no contract agreement yet,” Edul said on his X account on August 21.
The 27-year-old Gonzalez, currently at Juventus, has emerged as Diego Simeone’s preferred option to strengthen the attack. Simeone is believed to want more width in his team following the departure of Samuel Lino to Flamengo, and Gonzalez is viewed as a strong candidate to fill that role.
Nicolas Gonzalez (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
ESPN also reports that Juventus may be willing to include Nahuel Molina, another Argentine international, as part of the operation. Both clubs are reportedly open to structuring the transfer fee in installments to finalize the move before the close of the market.
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De Paul reveals last conversation with Simeone before leaving Atletico Madrid for Messi’s Inter Miami
Atletico’s busy summer window
Atletico Madrid have already been one of the busiest clubs in Europe this summer, spending around 175 million euros on seven signings. New arrivals include Matteo Ruggeri, David Hancko, Marc Pubill, Alex Baena, Johnny Cardoso, Thiago Almada, and Giacomo Raspadori. Despite those reinforcements, Simeone appears intent on adding another wide player to his squad.
Gonzalez, who began his career at Argentinos Juniors, has a market value just under 30 million euros. His European experience spans both Germany and Italy, having previously played for Stuttgart, Fiorentina, and most recently Juventus.
While De Paul’s departure marks the end of an era for Atletico, Gonzalez’s arrival would ensure that Simeone still has a strong Argentine presence in the squad. For now, all eyes are on whether Atletico can free up the funds to complete the deal before the transfer window shuts.
