Gavi agrees new Barcelona contract: The details
Suraj Radia
- Updated: 13 Sept 2022 18:46 BST
- 3 min read
Barcelona midfielder Gavi has finally agreed terms on a new contract with the club after months of negotiations.
The 18-year-old has established himself as a regular in the Barcelona side and his previous deal was set to expire next summer.
Gavi had been chased this summer by the likes of Liverpool and Bayern Munich due to an appealing €50 million release clause but his new deal will now see that amount rise to an eye-watering €1 billion.
Both parties were understood to have been calm over talks despite the interest from other teams and the new deal is expected to be formally announced imminently, with Gavi signing until 2026.
Gavi has been at Barcelona since the age of 11 and has started all five of his side’s games in La Liga this season after making 34 league appearances last season.
The youngster has already been capped ten times by Spain, scoring once, and is expected to be a key figure in their side for the upcoming World Cup.
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Gavi’s new deal never in doubt
Gavi’s rise to stardom undoubtedly combined with his contractual situation undoubtedly caught the attention of a host of Europe’s top clubs but the player reportedly never considered leaving for any other team.
The wonderkid has been keeping experienced midfielders such as Franck Kessie and Frankie de Jong out of the first team and his progress is finally set to be rewarded with a new bumper deal.
The negotiations were complicated by Barcelona’s precarious financial situation, which saw a delay in registering their summer signings as well as the contractual renewals of the likes of Ronald Araujo and Sergi Roberto.
Gavi & The Mosquito pic.twitter.com/iMbbJpYlr1
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) September 12, 2022
Gavi has been compared to former Barca legends Andres Iniesta and Xavi, with the latter now the club’s manager and he was full of praise for the youngster after his recent man-of-the-match showing against Sevilla,
"I am not surprised by Gavi's performance because I see him train every day," Xavi said.
"I know what he's capable of. The way he plays, he is pure intensity, personality, hard work, heart and discipline. I don't want to be unfair on the others, but he was perhaps the best player tonight," Xavi added.
