Football News: Barcelona fail with appeal to register Gavi in first team

Barcelona's plea to register Gavi as a first-team player was apparently denied. Moreover, the midfielder might leave the club on a free transfer this summer.

Gavi, 18, joined Barcelona's academy in 2015 after joining Real Betis' development system. The Spanish midfielder made his professional debut in August 2021 and have become a key member of the current squad.

Since then, the Spaniard has established himself as a first-team regular under head coach Xavi. He has made 84 appearances across all competitions, scoring four goals and giving 11 assists so far.

In addition, Gavi is largely regarded as one of Europe's finest young prospects, but his long-term future at Camp Nou has been thrown into question due to contract stipulations.

Barcelona announced in September of last year that Gavi had signed a new contract until June 2026, despite the fact that he was still allocated as an academy player.

Gavi's new contract includes a condition that allows him to depart for free if Barcelona does not register him as a first-team player by June 30, 2023, with the Catalan giants only allowed to change his squad status during a transfer window.

According to Mundo Deportivo, via The Sun, Barcelona believed they had registered the Spanish international during the January transfer window after getting a precautionary measure, but La Liga filed an appeal, claiming they had missed the deadline and violated their salary cap restrictions.

Barcelona's financial difficulties have been well documented for some years, and La Liga ordered earlier this month that the Catalan club must raise £177 million before signing and registering new players.

Earlier this month, a Spanish court ruled in favour of La Liga, despite the fact that 'no solid verdict' was reached, and Gavi was able to continue playing with first-team status.

According to the newspaper, Barca filed an appeal against the ruling on March 15, which was dismissed five days later by Barcelona's 10th Commercial Court.

As a result, Gavi is no longer considered a first-team player and is obligated to fulfil the conditions of his academy contract, which expires at the conclusion of the season.

The youngster will also have to go from wearing the No.6 shirt to the No. 30 shirt he wore at the start of his career.

Gavi's predicament at Camp Nou is said to have piqued the interest of a number of big European clubs, who could compete for his signature if he becomes a free agent this summer.

Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea are all said to be interested, while Bayern Munich are said to be the newest to join the competition.

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