Willy Hernangome fulfilled 31 years Last Tuesday. The Madrid pivot changed digits at one of the moments of the season in which it has greater prominence, in a difficult course for the Spanish international without the expected role after his return to the old continent.
Hernangómez landed in the Catalan capital in the summer of 2023 to be one of the new and most representative faces of a project that bet to leave behind Nikola mirotic, cory higgins o sarunas jasikevicius, and bet on a core of Spanish players, plus the appointment of Roger Grimau as coach. Last campaign he resulted without titles, and in another helm, from the club it was decided to bet on Joan Peñarroya.
In Willy Key, if last season The player did not have the desired role under Grimau's orders, As explained by the protagonist himself in an interview in RAC1, the truth is that it is This second Barca course has been much more complicated, and his minutes during the first half of the season fell into dive. Encounters in which he was not summoned, others who lived in full from the bench, or others in which his presence on the track was testimonial.
Willy Hernangómez and Joan Peñarroya, during the game against Zalgiris / Valentine Enrich
A second year “very very complicated”
“I am happy in Barcelona, it is my second year and it has been very very complicated for me. In the end I think it has made me stronger and be a better player, and now that I am counting more opportunities and that I am prepared for anything that the team needs, because as I have always said, What I want is to help the team to win. In everything that depends on me, on work and effort, I will be the best. I try to do it and prove it every day, Now it is true that I have more opportunities, and I focus on helping the team and that the series against Unicaja goes well, “said the player in an interview with Radio Marca.
Future priority
In addition, Willy did not avoid one of the current issues that affect him, as is A possible exit from Barça Although he has one more year of contract. The interior was clear with his response, and for his words, it seems that he does not enter his plans the option of not continuing in the Barca entity: “My future? Here in Barcelona I have another year of contract, I am happy and I think my job here is to try to help the team and try to win titles that we have not yet been able to get. I hope this year we can go for ACB, But I think that next year will be another great year and fulfill the contract is a priority for me “, confessed.
Willy Hernangómez shone in Barça's triumph against Monaco / Javi Ferrándiz
They denied a proposal to extend your contract until 2030
In the last hours, 'MD' put on the table a surreal player's request and its surroundings to the club: with a salary of more million euros for next season, Hernangómez would have proposed to Barça to lower the ground to a million euros 'clean', but extend its link up to 2030. The crazy proposal was denied Through social networks both by Guillermo Bermejo and Gerard Raventós, members of his representation agency: “Before publishing falsehoods, it would be good to contrast the information,” They published.
Barça's position
It is true that In Barça they would not see with bad eyes the possible exit of Willy Hernangómez from the team, taking into account that Everything indicates that Peñarroya will continue at the head of the team next season, And that when the Egarense coach has had at his disposal the entire template, the prominence of the Madrid interior has been minimal, even at times being the third pivot after Jan Vesely y Yousoupha Fall. It is very complicated that, after the yield offered on his return to Europe, Willy can find a team that pays him the two million euros that he receives in Barça. In addition, the physical state of the Czech and unknown with the future of Senegalese can play in favor of the '14' Barça.
Willy Hernangómez, in a match with Barça de Basket / EFE
Now, both Hernangómez and the rest of the team focus on Finish the regular season of the ACB This next Friday in Bilbao (18: 30h), and from the weekend, start preparing a demanding playoff series against a Unicaja which has the track factor, and that will look for its fifth title of the season after having conquered intercontinental, Supercopa, Copa del Rey and BCl.
