Chelsea and Man City to pounce on wonderkid Barcelona could be FORCED to sell
Tom Weber
- Updated: 25 Oct 2023 16:55 BST
- 3 min read
Barcelona could be forced to put Gavi up for sale due to their ongoing financial issues, according to a report.
Despite mightily cutting down their spending, Barcelona are not out of the woods yet regarding their dire economic state. On the contrary, given that LaLiga recently slashed their spending cap, the Blaugrana are once again sweating over their finances.
According to TEAMtalk, Barcelona could be forced to put some of their superstars up for sale in a bid to raise funds in the future. Chief among them would be youngster Gavi as he would likely fetch the biggest fee, with the 19-year-old currently the highest-valued teenager in the world as per FootballTransfers' Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) algorithm.
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Despite recently signing a new deal that finally put the questions about his status in the Barcelona squad to bed, Gavi could be sacrificed to balance the book. Already in the summer, there were reports linking the Spaniard with a move after being the subject of a legal battle. A clause in his deal ostensibly gave him the ability to leave Catalunya for nothing should Barcelona be unable to register him.
Among the clubs linked then were Chelsea, and the Blues are still keen on the wonderkid.
Chelsea, Man City attentive
That's at least what the above-mentioned report claims. It is asserted that, in the event of Barca putting Gavi up for sale, Chelsea and Man City would be at the front of the queue, ready to pounce.
The Blues are long-time admirers and would be prepared to build their team around the Spaniard, whereas Pep Guardiola would be a crucial factor working in Man City's favour.
READ: Real Madrid considering move for €80m Chelsea star
Gavi, like many of Barcelona's biggest stars, boasts a €1 billion release clause, but it is said that a bid of £120 million (€138m) could be enough to secure his services. Considering the money spent by Chelsea and City in recent years, it is not out of the question that either would be prepared to pay this astronomical fee.
