Barcelona star Gavi could move to Liverpool, Manchester United or Manchester City this summer… for absolutely nothing.
The La Masia academy graduate agreed a new deal with his boyhood club back in September and has seen his No.30 squad number upgraded to No.6 – the number that his manager Xavi wore. But with La Liga unhappy with Barcelona flouting their spending limits, 18-year-old Gavi's latest contract appears to be null and void.
This would relegate him back to academy player status. With it, he'd lose not only his squad number but assurances that Barcelona could receive a fee for his services.
Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City target, Gavi, has had his Barcelona contract overturned
Barcelona have struggled to register players during this particularly difficult financial period.
With La Liga stating that Gavi's new deal could not be agreed if the Catalan outfit were in breach of salary limit regulations, Barça went behind the league's back, taking legal action that stated that the teen's rejected contract was a small part of a larger "harassment campaign" towards the five-time Champions League winners. Gavi was registered as a first-team player on January 31, thanks to a temporary injunction.
However, a court ruling on Tuesday, as reported by ESPN, claimed that Barça missed the subsequent deadline to officially file their lawsuit. As part of the competition's rules, La Liga has a spending limit of around €600 million, which Barcelona have been said to be close to breaking on numerous occasions.
Barça now have 20 days to appeal. If Gavi is not registered with the first team by July 1, his contract will be void.
Barça are now scrambling for a solution
Unless Barcelona can reduce their wage bill, they could lose Gavi for free – and the ramifications certainly evoke memories of Lionel Messi leaving in the same way. There's precedent for big stars exiting out of the blue.
While Messi was priced out of most European sides' wage structures, however, Premier League clubs would likely queue up to sign Gavi if he were made available for free. Liverpool have historic interest, having chased the teenager since before he signed this new deal, while Manchester City have the Pep Guardiola factor. Manchester United would be likely to enter the race, too, while Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and perhaps even Real Madrid can't be ruled out entirely.
It seems as if Gavi would favour remaining at Barça, despite interest from elsewhere. The midfielder has come through the ranks at the club, is enjoying his football under Xavi and the Blaugrana are running away with the league title in Spain. Though there was interest from elsewhere at one stage, he did commit his future to the club.
The temporary injunction has been removed and Barcelona have told The Athletic that they intend to appeal the decision. But this is just the latest in a long line of instances in which Barça have fallen foul of spending limits and paid the price.
