LaLiga reject Barcelona’s Gavi contract request

LaLiga has rejected Barcelona’s request to register Gavi as a first-team participant with a brand new, improved contract, sources have informed ESPN.

The 18-year-old midfielder, agreed phrases in September on a brand new deal to maintain him at Camp Nou till 2026, together with a €1 billion launch clause.

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Barca filed the paperwork with the league on Wednesday, hoping to formally register Gavi with the first-team squad earlier than the top of the January switch window subsequent week.

Until now — regardless of taking part in for the primary workforce since 2021 — the Spain worldwide has technically remained a youth workforce participant.

Sources informed ESPN that LaLiga had turned down Barca’s request, as a result of the membership don’t have any room to register Gavi inside their squad spending restrict.

The resolution ought to come as no shock, sources stated, because the membership have been conscious that they had little to no room to manoeuvre.

Barca have been hopeful that the departures of defender Gerard Pique — who retired in November — and ahead Memphis Depay, who has joined Atletico Madrid, would unlock sufficient house on their wage invoice, however LaLiga argues that additional motion is required.

As properly as Gavi, the contract of Ronald Araujo — agreed in April 2022 — can also be but to be registered with LaLiga.

Sources informed ESPN that each gamers are assured the membership will be capable to resolve the difficulty quickly.

Barcelona’s spending restrict has been drastically diminished by the membership’s monetary squeeze lately.

The membership bought off a collection of belongings final yr — 25% of their home tv rights for the following 25 years and a 49% stake in Barca Studios — in a bid to enhance the scenario and register their summer time signings.

That noticed their spending cap improve by nearly €800 million, however given the dimensions of the issue, it stays tight.

Gavi has turn into a key participant for Barcelona and Spain over the past two years.

He has made 17 league appearances for Barca this season, and received the 2022 Golden Boy award for Europe’s greatest participant beneath the age of 21.