A crucial mistake has led to Nico Gonzalez's struggles at Porto.

 

On July 29th, FC Barcelona confirmed Nico Gonzalez's transfer to Porto for a sum of 8.5 million euros, while also securing a buy-back option for 30 million euros and a percentage of any future transfer fee involving the Galician player.

This marked the conclusion of Nico's pursuit of success at Barcelona, where he had initially broken into the first team under the management of Ronald Koeman, making his debut on August 15, 2021, in a match against Real Sociedad. Over the course of that season, he amassed 37 appearances for the first team. However, his playing time diminished following Xavi's appointment as head coach.

In the summer of 2022, Nico made the decision to embark on a loan spell with Valencia. Subsequently, during the recent transfer window, he opted to part ways with Barcelona and seek a fresh start with Porto, a club that competes in the UEFA Champions League. Nico's move to Porto was facilitated by the strong interest of Sergio Conceiçao, the Portuguese team's coach, who regarded him as an ideal fit for his tactical approach, frequently employing a double pivot system.

Nico's tenure at Porto began with his absence in the Portuguese Super Cup, which the team lost to Benfica shortly after his arrival. However, he made his league debut in the subsequent fixture against Moreirense and started the following three matches against Farense, Rio Ave, and Arouca, consistently occupying the double pivot role alongside Eustaquio.

A Costly Error

Unfortunately, it was during the match against Arouca that Nico encountered a pivotal setback. A defensive lapse on his part resulted in the equalizing goal for the opposition just six minutes from full time. In response, Conceiçao promptly substituted him, and since that moment, Nico has only played for 17 minutes in a Champions League encounter against Shakhtar, and that too when the outcome was all but decided. His absence was notable, as he wasn't included in the squad for Estrela de Amadora and remained on the bench for the games against Gil Vicente and Benfica last Friday.