OFFICIAL: Nico González renews Barcelona contract, completes Valencia loan

It is now official: Barcelona midfielder Nico González will join La Liga side Valencia on a season-long loan deal, the club announced on Saturday.

This is the full statement from Barça:

"FC Barcelona and Nico González have reached an agreement to renew the player’s contract, which was set to expire on 30 June 2024, for an additional two years through to 30 June 2026. His buyout clause has been set at a billion euros.

"At the same time, FC Barcelona and Valencia CF have reached an agreement for the player to spend the 2022/23 season on loan to the latter. There is no purchase option included in the deal."

Source | FC Barcelona

Nico departs after being promoted to the first team by Ronald Koeman last season and becoming a very important part of the squad even after the appointment of Xavi Hernández as manager, making 36 appearances in all competitions and scoring two goals in the 2021-22 campaign.

The 20-year-old was poised to become Sergio Busquets’ backup this season, but a collective decision was made to send him to a high-level European team to get starter minutes and much-needed experience at a pivotal time in his career.

New Valencia manager Gennaro Gattuso has promised Nico a protagonist role in midfield, and the youngster could return to Barça next summer as a much more experienced, well-rounded player.

Good luck at Valencia, Nico!