Confirmed! Chelsea met with Gavi agent - but not why you think

Robin Bairner

• 12 Apr 2023 11:13 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea have been in talks with the agent of Barcelona star Gavi, who could become available on a free transfer at the end of the season due to a quirk in his current contract at Camp Nou.

This is news that will excite fans of the Blues, with the chance of landing a €100 million star for absolutely no transfer fee a mouth-watering prospect. For Barca, meanwhile, it is the stuff of nightmares.

But for the moment, supporters of the Catalan side can rest easy thanks to an update from transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano.

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Taking to Twitter, the Italian journalist confirmed the meeting but added an important detail into his report.

“At the moment, from what I understand Chelsea had contract with Gavi's agent, but because he's representing Luis Enrique and not a discussion about Gavi,” Romano revealed.

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Chelsea's Luis Enrique interest

Indeed, this information is logical. Chelsea are presently managerless following the sacking of Graham Potter. Frank Lampard has taken charge on a temporary basis in order to give the club time to assess candidates for the role.

While Julian Nagelsmann has been a leading figure in the race for the job since Potter’s sacking, Luis Enrique is another key contender after he lost his job as Spain head coach following the 2022 World Cup.

The former Barcelona boss is represented by Ivan de la Pena, a former player at Camp Nou, who also oversees the affairs of Gavi.

While it is hard to imagine that the name of the Barcelona midfielder was not discussed at all in this meeting, the 18-year-old has made his intention clear that he wishes to stay at Barca for the time being, even if he has the opportunity to leave for nothing in the summer because the club has failed to register him as a first-team player.

Another meeting is scheduled between Chelsea and De la Pena in the future, AS has reported, and it is just as likely that the plan is to discuss Luis Enrique as Gavi.