Miralem Pjanic has spoken of his excitement at seeing reported Liverpool transfer target Gavi play for the first time.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, as transcribed by Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, the Besiktas midfielder recalled first seeing the youngster in training for Barcelona.
“The first time I saw Gavi in training I said: wow, this boy is going to be special,” said Pjanic.
Coming from a player with the technical ability of the 31-year-old, that’s high praise.
Still a chance for Liverpool
Romano claimed earlier in the week on his YouTube channel that Barcelona are ‘really confident’ of getting Gavi’s contract sorted.
But the fact remains that the deal still hasn’t been done. The 17-year-old’s current terms run out next summer. According to Marca, Liverpool have been considering triggering his £42m release clause.
If the Spain international is allowed to head into this summer without a new deal, Barca could be vulnerable to losing him.
Journalist Gerard Romero even recently claimed on Twitter that Liverpool have already made Gavi a contract offer, as they try to lure him to Anfield.
That followed on from Mundo Deportivo reporting Liverpool’s interest earlier this month.
Getting themselves a bargain
Pjanic’s words illustrate just how highly Gavi is thought of at Barcelona. It’s remarkable that he has been able to become a regular for one of the biggest clubs on the planet at just seventeen.
He is also already a fixture in the Spain squad. After being called up just one month after his seventeenth birthday, Gavi has already played six times for Luis Enrique’s La Roja.
The midfielder was included in the latest squad ahead of Liverpool’s own La Masia graduate, Thiago Alcantara.
Should Liverpool be able to swoop in and pry Gavi away from Barcelona by triggering his release clause, it would represent an absolute bargain.
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