Barcelona have given Nico Gonzalez a new shirt number | OneFootball

Nico Gonzalez has had quite the year. He broke into Barcelona’s first team at the beginning of the season and has now changed his number, moving from 28 to Philippe Coutinho’s 14.

Coutinho of course left Barcelona on loan for Aston Villa during the January transfer window, with a view to joining them on a permanent deal should everything work out.

But Nico isn’t going anywhere. Alongside Gavi and Pedri the Galician has what it takes to become a fixture of the Blaugrana’s midfield for years to come. He’s a different profile to those two also, taller and more physically strong.

He’s made 23 appearances for the first team across all competitions so far in 2021/22, and is part of a pivot to youth that Barcelona hope will be overseen by Xavi.

The Blaugrana face Athletic Club later tonight in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey. They’re of course the holders of the competition having beaten the same opposition in last year’s final.