- 6 hours ago
La Liga remove Gavi from Barcelona squad
Stuart Telford
- 24 Mar 2023 13:26 GMT
- 3 min read
Gavi has been removed as a first-team player from Barcelona's squad list on the official La Liga website amid the club's financial dire straits.
La Liga had previously told Barcelona to reduce their debt by €200 million if they want to compete next season, with signings outside of free transfers and loans next summer seemingly impossible at this point.
Barca were €1.35 billion in debt when they lost Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2021, and although Joan Laporta has activated 'financial levers' - effectively the sale of a percentage of future revenues - the club remain in trouble.
READ: Barcelona could be BANNED from Champions League as UEFA opens investigation
They spent €150m last summer on Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde, but a group stage exit from the Champions League was followed by Manchester United dumping them out of Europe in the Europa League knock-out round play-offs.
❗️ La Liga has removed Pablo Gavi as a first team player on the official website. #fcblive pic.twitter.com/b12l0lYwZV
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 24, 2023
With those revenue streams missed, Barca at least hoped to be able to offer academy graduate Gavi a new contract - one with a €1bn release clause which also say him inherit the No.6 shirt once worn by head coach Xavi.
Gavi available on a free
But La Liga have refused that registration, meaning that Gavi still has the status of an academy player - one who could leave on a free transfer at the end of the season.
READ: Barcelona wonderkid Gavi available on a FREE TRANSFER
And now La Liga have removed Gavi from Barca's squad list on their official website, with Ferran [Torres] and [Franck] Kessie no longer flanking European football's Golden Boy as users scan their site.
Gavi will still be able to take part in La Liga matches this season, and the player himself is keen to stay at Camp Nou, having agreed his fresh terms as recently as September.
Premier League pair Liverpool and Manchester City are now on high alert, though, with the possibility of picking up such a talented youngster for free too good to turn down.
