Reported Liverpool transfer target Gavi is set to be stripped his No.6 shirt at Barcelona, amid an ongoing contract dispute with La liga.
Gavi has emerged as a potential target for Liverpool, with Barca’s financials struggles throwing his future at the club into doubt.
And as per Goal, the 18-year-old could now be one step closer to leaving. They claim that ahead of this weekend’s La Liga games, Gavi is no longer recognised as a first-team player by the league.
As a result, he doesn’t feature in the Barcelona squad on La Liga’s official website. He will also – somewhat bizarrely – have to give up his No.6 shirt for the No.30 he wore whilst emerging from the youth team.
It’s claimed that these steps haven’t changed Barca’s position on the teenager leaving this summer. They’re said to be ‘confident’ of finding space on their wage bill to register him. But with clubs such as Liverpool circling, that doesn’t seem to be a given.
Gavi not going anywhere
This is the latest episode of a rather bizarre situation between La Liga and Barcelona. Going by the book, it would appear that the league have every right to penalise Barca and cancel Gavi’s contract.
Whether the club like it or not, they could be set to lose one of their most promising youngsters for absolutely nothing.
But what doesn’t seem to be being considered in all of this is how it’s affecting Gavi himself. The Spain international has always maintained that he doesn’t want to leave Barca.
To that effect, he reportedly turned down a big contract offer from Liverpool last summer. Furthermore, he’s said to have already told his current club that he’d do the same this year too.
It may end up that he has no choice in the matter, but as he’s seemingly so keen to stick around, that may put a spanner in Liverpool’s plans to sign him.
Consequently, we still expect Barca will bend the rules to suit themselves here. By hook or by crook they’ll sign Gavi up once again. We’d love to be proven otherwise – he’s a ‘spectacular’ player. He’d be exceptional business for Liverpool on a free. But whatever number he’s wearing on his back, we can’t see it happening.
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