Gonzalo Villar (footballer)

Gonzalo Villar del Fraile (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡonˈθalo βiˈʎaɾ]; born 23 March 1998) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club Granada.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Villar and the second or maternal family name is del Fraile.

Gonzalo Villar
Personal information
Full name Gonzalo Villar del Fraile
Date of birth (1998-03-23) 23 March 1998
Place of birth Murcia, Spain
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Central midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Granada
Number 24
Youth career
2009–2015 Elche
2015–2017 Valencia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015 Elche B 3 (0)
2016–2018 Valencia B 32 (2)
2018–2020 Elche 35 (1)
2020–2023 Roma 42 (0)
2022 → Getafe (loan) 10 (0)
2022–2023 → Sampdoria (loan) 15 (0)
2023 → Getafe (loan) 16 (0)
2023– Granada 1 (0)
International career‡
2016 Spain U19 2 (0)
2019–2021 Spain U21 10 (1)
2021 Spain 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 August 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 June 2021

Club career

Early career

Villar was born in Murcia, and represented Elche CF as a youth. On 4 January 2015, aged just 16, he made his senior debut with the reserves by coming on as a second-half substitute in a 0–3 Segunda División B home loss against UE Sant Andreu.[2]

On 28 August 2015 Villar joined Valencia CF for a fee of € 175,000, and returned to youth football.[3] Promoted to the B-team ahead of the 2017–18 season, he was a first-choice in Lubo Penev's side,[4] scoring his first senior goal on 26 August 2017 in a 4–1 home routing of CF Peralada-Girona B.

Elche

On 9 July 2018, Villar returned to Elche, being assigned to the main squad in Segunda División;[5] Valencia retained 80% of his future transfer.[6] He made his professional debut on 18 August, starting in a 0–0 home draw against Granada CF.[7]

Villar scored his first professional goal on 24 November 2019, netting his team's third in a 3–3 away draw against Málaga CF.[8]

Roma

On 29 January 2020, Villar moved abroad for the first time in his career, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract with AS Roma. Roma paid an initial fee of €4 million for his transfer, with potential extra €1 million due based on performance.[9] He made his Serie A debut on 15 February, replacing Diego Perotti in a 1–2 away loss at Atalanta BC.[10]

Loan to Getafe

On 13 January 2022, Villar returned to his home country after agreeing to a loan deal with La Liga side Getafe CF until the end of the season.[11]

Loan to Sampdoria

On 8 August 2022, Villar joined Sampdoria on a season-long loan with an option to buy.[12]

Second loan to Getafe

On 13 January 2023, Villar returned to Getafe on a season-long loan with the option to make the deal permanent, which becomes an obligation if certain conditions are met.[13]

Granada

On 4 August 2023, Villar signed a contract with Granada CF, newly-promoted to the top tier.[14]

International career

Due to the isolation of some national team players following the positive COVID-19 test of Sergio Busquets, Spain's under-21 squad were called up for the international friendly against Lithuania on 8 June 2021.[15] Villar made his senior debut in the match as Spain won 4–0.[16]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 28 May 2023[17]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Elche B 2014–15 Segunda División B 30——30
Valencia B 2015–16 Segunda División B 00——00
2016–17 Segunda División B 10——10
2017–18 Segunda División B 312——312
Total 322——322
Elche 2018–19 Segunda División 15021—171
2019–20 Segunda División 20120—221
Total 35141—392
Roma 2019–20 Serie A 900020110
2020–21 Serie A 33010130470
2021–22 Serie A 00006060
Total 42010210640
Getafe (loan) 2021–22 La Liga 100——100
Sampdoria (loan) 2022–23 Serie A 15010—160
Getafe (loan) 2022–23 La Liga 160——160
Career total 1533712101814

International
As of match played 8 June 2021
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Spain 202110
Total10

References
  1. "Gonzalo Villar". U.C. Sampdoria. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  2. "El filial cae en el Narcís Sala (3–0)" [The reserve team stumble at the Narcís Sala (3–0)] (in Spanish). Elche CF. 4 January 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  3. "El juvenil Gonzalo Villar se marcha traspasado al Valencia" [Youth player Gonzalo Villar goes out transferred to Valencia] (in Spanish). Tele Elx. 28 August 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  4. "Sensación Gonzalo Villar" (in Spanish). Las Provincias. 5 October 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  5. "OFICIAL | Gonzalo Villar regresa al Elche C.F." [OFFICIAL | Gonzalo Villar returns to Elche C.F.] (in Spanish). Elche CF. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  6. "COMUNICADO OFICIAL" [OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT] (in Spanish). Valencia CF. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  7. "Elche y Granada se presentan con la pólvora mojada" [Elche and Granada present themselves with a wet powder] (in Spanish). Marca. 18 August 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  8. "Homenaje de goles sin premio" [Goal honour without prize] (in Spanish). Marca. 24 November 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  9. "Roma complete signing of Gonzalo Villar" (Press release). AS Roma. 29 January 2020.
  10. "Atalanta 2–1 Roma". Football Italia. 15 February 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  11. "Comunicado Oficial /Borja Mayoral y Gonzalo Villar" [Official announcement /Borja Mayoral and Gonzalo Villar] (in Spanish). Getafe CF. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  12. "Gonzalo Villar joins Sampdoria on loan". AS Roma. 8 August 2022.
  13. "Gonzalo Villar joins Getafe on initial loan move". AS Roma. 13 January 2023.
  14. "Comunicado Oficial | Gonzalo Villar, nuevo jugador del Granada CF" [Official announcement | Gonzalo Villar, new player of Granada CF] (in Spanish). Granada CF. 4 August 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  15. "Oficial | Lista de convocados para el encuentro ante Lituania" [Official | Squad list for the match against Lithuania]. Royal Spanish Football Federation (in Spanish). 6 June 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  16. "Spain youngsters impress in Lithuania rout". MARCA. 8 June 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  17. "Gonzalo Villar". SofaScore. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
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