Wolves have reportedly intensified their interest in Barcelona midfielder Nico Gonzalez ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.

What's the news?

According to a recent report from Sport (via Sport Witness), the Midlands club are looking to sign the player either on a permanent basis or loan deal this summer.

The report added that, should a deal which would see current Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves move to Camp Nou arise this summer, the Molineux outfit would want Gonzalez to be included.

A product of Barcelona's famous youth system, the 20-year-old has gone on to make 77 appearances in total across their youth and senior sides. In that time, the midfielder has scored four goals and delivered five assists in the process.

Despite making 36 senior appearances for Xavi's team across all competitions this season, the youngster only started 17 times, which suggests that he is more of a rotation player at the moment.

This could make a move to the Premier League with Wolves a rather tempting prospect for the £18m-rated talent if he would be guaranteed regular football at Molineux.

Wolves' next Moutinho

Also, with Bruno Lage at risk of seeing Joao Moutinho leave on a free transfer when the 35-year-old's current contract expires at the end of the month, adding the Barcelona youth star to their ranks could be an ideal way to replace the veteran if he were to leave this summer.

To compare the two players from their latest individual domestic seasons, the duo racked up the same percentage of aerial duels won, whereas Gonzalez finished with a higher completion percentage for passes and dribbles than Moutinho, and had a higher rate of shot-creating actions per 90 minutes.

However, having reportedly turned down a move to Manchester City earlier in his career due to his love for Barcelona, it could be hard for Wolves to convince the player to leave his boyhood club on a permanent basis.

That being said, if they can get him on a loan deal and make the most out of him, it could still be a good piece of business from the Old Gold.

The fact that a club like Man City were after him also backs up the sort of talent the midfielder has, and it illustrates why he could be an exciting prospect for Wolves to acquire.

In other news: Wolves eye bid for “fantastic” £34.3m brute with an “excellent profile”, Lage needs him