Nico Gonzalez nets Atletico brace: When obligation will be met

Nico Gonzalez marked another impressive display in Spain with a match-winning brace for Atletico Madrid against Real Sociedad on Saturday, further underlining his growing importance to Diego Simeone’s side, and edging Juventus closer to triggering a crucial financial windfall.

The Argentine winger came off the bench in the 54th minute with Atletico trailing 2-1, and produced a decisive impact, netting twice to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory in LaLiga’s 27th matchday.

It was exactly the kind of performance that is making his permanent move to the Spanish capital look increasingly inevitable, as noted by CalcioMercato.

Nico Gonzalez edges closer to permanent Juventus departure

The details of his transfer structure make for interesting reading from a Juventus perspective. Nico Gonzalez joined Atletico on an initial loan of €1 million, rising by a further million subject to certain sporting objectives, with a purchase option of €32 million that converts into an obligation under specific conditions.

The key trigger is appearance-based: Atletico must sign him permanently if he reaches 60% of Liga matches played, featuring for at least 45 minutes per game, equivalent to 21 qualifying appearances across the season.

Saturday’s outing counts as his 13th qualifying appearance in the league, with 18 total Liga appearances to his name so far this season, and 26 across all competitions.

With eleven games left this season, he requires eight more qualifying matches to trigger the obligation, a target that looks very much within reach given his increasing involvement under Simeone.

For Juventus, the €32 million fee would represent a welcome injection of cash ahead of what promises to be a busy and expensive summer transfer window.