Jonathan Gonzalez has yet to make any official move with regards to his international future, but one report says the Mexican-American star could be nearing some sort of decision well ahead of schedule.
According to Univision Deportes, the Monterrey midfielder has made up his mind to represent Mexico on the international level. According to the report, Gonzalez came to the decision after speaking with Mexico officials as well as El Tri manager Juan Carlos Osorio.
Any potential move would be permanent while the process to seal that move is a long one. According to the report, Gonzalez has yet to file a one-time switch with FIFA, which is required after representing the U.S. on the youth level. The filing process isn’t always quick, and Gonzalez wouldn’t be able to represent Mexico until he received FIFA approval.
Gonzalez’s decision does not need to come immediately unless he expects to seal a spot at this summer’s World Cup. With the U.S. out of competitive matches until summer 2019, Gonzalez would not need to make an official decision on joining the U.S. program until the start of the 2019 Gold Cup. On the other end, Gonzalez could see a 2018 World Cup spot with Mexico as motivation for a switch, although his youth and international inexperience could make it more difficult for him to seal a spot with El Tri as Russia approaches.
According to the report, Gonzalez is frustrated with the U.S. program after being left out of November’s friendly against Portugal. In addition, Univision reports that Gonzalez’s parents have always pushed their son to play for Mexico while the midfielder himself preferred the U.S.
Gonzalez could reportedly make his Mexico debut as soon as Jan. 31 in a friendly against Bosnia & Herzegovina if paperwork is sorted and submitted on time.