Liverpool eye free transfer of Barcelona superstar Gavi

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 14 Mar 2023 11:31 GMT
• 3 min read

Liverpool are monitoring Gavi amid a dispute in which Barcelona face seeing the superstar leave on a free transfer in the summer.

Barca may not be able to afford to register the midfielder, reports The Times, and as a result the Catalans are currently embroiled in a battle with La Liga over Gavi’s contract. The Reds have long been admirers of the 18-year-old, and though their chances have been remote previously, the current situation could pave the way for the Reds to encourage Gavi to sign with the Premier League outfit.

Barcelona are riddled with debts of more than €1 billion and, at present, it is not certain that they have the finances to make Gavi, who was previously on a youth-team contract, a first-team player. Gavi had signed a fresh deal in September and has a release clause of €1b, an amount set to fend off interest from rivals on players they deem crucial.

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But the clause will become void if Gavi’s deal with Barcelona is not authorised by La Liga. The league currently states that Barcelona cannot register the player because of the league’s financial rules that ensure that clubs cannot spend over a certain threshold which is determined by their respective income.

If Gavi’s contract is cancelled then he will revert to a youth player, contractually speaking, and consequently be able to sign as a free agent this summer.

Javier Tebas on Barcelona's financial plight

La Liga president, Javier Tebas, said this month.“We have not let Barcelona sign players this winter and they will not be able to sign players next summer." It comes after a commercial court that ruled in favour of the club in January reversed that judgment.

Manchester City are also eyeing a move for the Spaniard, along with Jude Bellingham. As we reported before, Liverpool are weighing up their midfield potions, including Bellingham, Mason Mount, and Matheus Nunes.

Kouadio Manu Kone of Borussia Monchengladbach and Khephren Thuram of Nice remain targets, the latter of which we are told by sources in France will almost certainly be sold in the upcoming window.