A little more than a season ago, Gonzalo Villar seemed destined to be the next star in Roma’s midfield: a Tiki-Taka, ball-moving midfielder who could dictate play from the center of the park—the perfect fit in Paulo Fonseca’s offensive-minded system.
However, things can change quickly in the world of calcio and as soon as Fonseca was shown the door, Villar’s Roman destiny was rewritten. With the change in manager came a change in ideas and the Spaniard fell down the pecking order under José Mourinho. A few poor performances later, Villar was loaned to Spanish side Getafe in January.
There was no doubt that Villar would be moved again this summer—his lack of defensive prowess seemingly a big negative in Mourinho’s eyes. After a number of links in both Spain and Italy, it looks like Villar has found a landing spot. According to reports from RomaPress, the 24-year-old Spaniard will head to newly-promoted Monza.
Based on initial figures being thrown around, it looks like Villar will be moving on a loan with an obligation to buy (€10 million total, including potential bonuses) if Monza avoids relegation. That may seem unlikely for a newly promoted side that has never been in Italy’s top flight before. Nevertheless, Silvio Berlusconi’s side has been one of the most active on the market this summer bringing in Italian internationals Matteo Pessina, Stefano Sensi, and Alessio Cragno, among a number of others. So, the Serie A-salvation clause may not be as farfetched as it sounds.
In addition, there is speculation that Villar's departure could finally unlock Davide Frattesi’s arrival from Sassuolo. There have been plenty of rumors about why negotiations with Sassuolo for Frattesi have been dragged out, but perhaps the truth is Roma needed to clear out a midfielder first.
Keep an eye in the coming days to see if this is indeed the case and Frattesi can finally make his return home to Rome.
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