Confirmed: Nico Gonzalez obligation to buy won’t be trigger – What’s next for Juventus & Atletico Madrid | OneFootball

After picking up another injury, Nico Gonzalez won’t be able to trigger Atletico Madrid’s obligation to buy him from Juventus.

Following an underwhelming first campaign in Turin, the 28-year-old joined the Colchoneros on last summer’s deadline day.

The Argentine signed on a season-long loan for €3 million with an option to buy for €32 million. This clause would have turned into an obligation had the winger managed to make 21 appearances in LaLiga lasting 45 minutes or more.

However, Gonzalez has only registered 16 countable appearances thus far, and following his latest setback (his third muscle injury of the season), he will certainly run out of time.

Atletico Madrid & Juventus set to renegotiate Nico Gonzalez terms

With Atletico Madrid no longer obliged to buy the former Fiorentina star, it remains to be seen what their next move will be.

It should be noted that Gonzalez has an admirer in his compatriot, Diego Simeone, who would like to keep him at his court.

However, the club directors aren’t willing to meet the price agreed upon with Juventus, so they won’t exercise their option to buy the player.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, this could set the stage for a new round of negotiations between the two clubs.

The pink newspaper expects Juventus to open with an asking price of €30 million, but Atletico are likely to call the bluff, and will only offer €20 million, believing this figure could be enough for the Italian giants to avoid a capital loss.

Why Gonzalez might have a future at Juventus

While new contacts between the clubs are inevitable, Juventus could take a completely different path by reinstating Gonzalez in their plans.

Luciano Spalletti is said to be a longtime admirer of the Argentine winger, so he may be willing to welcome him at Continassa with open arms. It should be noted that the player left Turin when Igor Tudor was still in charge.

Gonzalez could thus return to competing with a starting role with Francisco Conceicao on the right side of the attacking trident, especially with Edon Zhegrova expected to leave in the summer.

Moreover, the Belen de Escobar native is capable of filling several other roles on the flank, including a wing-back on either side in Spalletti’s current 3-4-2-1 formation.