Report: Atletico Madrid midfielder offered to Juventus in Nico Gonzalez swap | OneFootball

Atletico Madrid are reportedly planning to keep Nico Gonzalez beyond his current loan spell, and they’re willing to tempt Juventus by offering them one of their own.

Following a challenging first season in Turin, the Argentine winger joined the Colchoneros on loan last summer.

The agreement between the two clubs included an option to buy for €32 million that would turn into an obligation if the player features in 21 LaLiga matches for 45 minutes or more.

Atletico offer Cardoso to Juventus in exchange for Nico Gonzalez

At this late stage of the season, Gonzalez has run out of time, as reaching the threshold is no longer mathematically possible. Moreover, Atletico aren’t planning to exercise their option to buy the winger for €32 million.

And yet, Diego Simeone and Co. are adamant about keeping the Argentina international in the Spanish capital.

According to Tuttosport, Atletico have already informed Juventus they won’t activate the option to buy Gonzalez, but they’re also interested in negotiating new terms.

The Rojiblancos are willing to meet the player’s current book value at Juventus, which is expected to be just over €20 million.

The Turin-based newspaper adds that the Spanish club could try to reduce the cost of the operation by offering Johnny Cardoso in a swap deal.

Johnny Cardoso’s background and Atletico Madrid status

The 24-year-old midfielder is a New Jersey native of Brazilian heritage, who also has an Italian passport.

Cardoso began his career at Internacional before moving to Europe in January 2024, when he signed for Real Betis.

After 18 months at the Andalusian club, Atletico saw enough to purchase the USMNT star for €24 million last summer.

This season, Cardoso has made 30 appearances across all competitions, scoring a single goal in the process. However, he is considered a second choice behind Atletico captain Koke and Pablo Barrios.

Therefore, it remains to be seen if Juventus will be enticed by the addition of the American international, knowing that Damien Comolli and Marco Ottolini are indeed searching the market for new midfielders.