Leicester City are interested in Fiorentina winger Nicolas Gonzalez. Here are the three things you need to know, and our opinion on the possible signing.
Brendan Rodgers’ side are in desperate need of reinforcements as the uptick in form has come off the tracks and left the Foxes in a dire position. Any more losses could see the side plummet down the table, whereas wins could see us claw back positions and progress.
We already know that Leicester are interested in offloading at least two players this January, as well as signing two defenders, a winger, and possibly a midfielder. Victor Kristiansen, Dango Ouattara, and Azzedine Ounahi are some of the links recently. Now, reports connect the East Midlands club to Nico Gonzalez, the Argentinian winger in Serie A.
What Leicester City must know
As is the usual with these pieces, I like to detail the positionality, stylistic preference, and value behind the 24-year-old. Honestly, upon first inspection this is a major downgrade from the hype for Noni Madueke and Ouattara. Let us explore this further.
The Argentinian has not played much during the 22/23 campaign: only seven appearances in the Serie A competition. His season has been plagued with injuries, taking the player out of the side and preventing him from gaining consistency. However, what Rodgers will have noticed was the two goals over the 203 minutes of Serie A game time. Not prolific, but certainly not bad.
During his career, the winger has mostly performed from left-wing, although during the limited game time this season, he has played on the right. They have occasionally played as a centre-forward. So, although Gonzalez is not the prolific pure right-winger we are looking for, he is a versatile forward who can take pressure off Harvey Barnes or James Maddison.
Stylistically, FB Ref rate the player as a prolific shooter, a high dribbler, and aggressive in both the air and in terms of interceptions. The 24-year-old Argentinian often receives progressive passes from creative midfielders, only to then knock the ball past the defensive line and run with it into the wide spaces before cutting inside or passing to an arriving midfielder for a shot. Gonzalez mostly beats his man.
In a way, Gonzalez is similar although less explosive than Barnes. Primarily a dribbler with the ball, both retain the ball well under pressure and both can beat their opponents. The only difference is the extra card in Barnes’ hand: pace. The Argentinian is stronger but slower than our English winger, as such when under pressure he can retain the ball by shielding it.
Beyond this, value is critical. Those reports believe Fiorentina would like somewhere around €30million, his value being around €23m according to Transfermarkt. Of course, that is a guide and not accurate for real-world transfers. The reality is this: the player scores well, creates well, and is entering their prime; Gonzalez will cost around €30m.
At this price point, the more explosive Ouattara is available. Madueke is likely available for a little more in the summer. The Foxes could have signed both Cengiz Under and Ademola Lookman. €30m is a lot for another injury-prone versatile player.
What Leicester City need is an out and out right-winger who scores, creates, and can play elsewhere. Not a left-winger who can play elsewhere and performs better on the left. After all, the Foxes cannot continue to always play ‘Madders’ at RW: the attacking-midfielder will perform better when surrounded by explosive, prolific players on either side.
As such, I would not be against a loan to buy for around that price just in case the player were to prove me wrong. However, the Foxes should look at Ouattara more closely. How do you rate the latest, fairly high profile link? Let us know on Twitter.