Getty Gavi celebrates scoring for Barcelona.
Barcelona director of football Mateu Alemany has said he is “100%” confident that 17-year-old midfielder Gavi will sign a new contract and extend his career at the Camp Nou.
Gavi’s current deal expires in 2023 and negotiations have yet to yield an agreement between both sides, prompting rumors the teenage star could be lured away from the Catalan giants.
Alemany offered an update on the situation at a news conference on Wednesday, July 6 and offered an explanation as to why the club are yet to agree a new contract with the Spain international.
“There is an outline of an agreement. We are highly committed to sorting out this situation,” he said. “He is 17 years of age and we are waiting until he turns 18 on 5 August so he can sign a contract longer than three years. We have small details to close out but we will get it resolved. 100% Gavi will continue at Barça.”
Gavi was a revelation last season for Barcelona, breaking into the first team for club and country and going on to make 45 appearances in all competitions for both teams.
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Laporta Reiterates De Jong Stance
Xavi will have plenty of midfield options next season with Gavi set to join Pedri, Nico Gonzalez, Sergio Busquets, and new signing Franck Kessie in the first-team squad at the Camp Nou.
Dutchman Frenkie de Jong may also be available to Xavi, although the midfielder’s future remains uncertain amid interest from Premier League side Manchester United.
President Joan Laporta also spoke at the news conference and once again insisted that the club do not want to sell De Jong, despite speculation to the contrary.
“He is a Barça player and we, if we do not need to, will not sell him because we do not want to sell him,” he said. “We know that he has offers but at the moment we are not considering them.”
However, De Jong’s wages are a problem for Barcelona and the club have told the midfielder he must take a “drastic” pay-cut if he is to continue, as reported by Marca.
Barcelona Offer Dembele Update
Ousmane Dembele is another player who could be set to sign a new contract at Barcelona. The forward is technically a free agent after his deal expired at the end of June.
However, he is in talks over an extension and Laporta also offered an update on the current situation regarding the Frenchman and Barcelona.
“Ousmane now is not a Barça player but we have made him an offer for sporting reasons He has not managed to accept our proposal but he wants to continue talking. For us, if not at moment, we will continue talking,” Laporta explained. “The wage balance is necessary for the team to be competitive and all the negotiations come in this context. We are not in a hurry, even though we are aware we cannot wait too long. Players we have verbal agreements with understand the situation. Nobody can expect us not to act with maximum caution.”
Dembele could sign a new two-year deal at the Camp Nou that runs until June 2024, as reported by Diario Sport. However, if he does stay he will also have to accept a substantial pay-cut.
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