La Liga has rejected Barcelona’s request to register Gavi’s new first-team contract, sources have confirmed. The contract would have seen Gavi remain at Camp Nou until 2026 and included a €1 billion release clause.
Barcelona filed the paperwork with the league on Wednesday to register Gavi as a first-team player under the terms of this new contract. Due to the lack of paperwork suggesting otherwise, the 18-year-old player continues to be registered as a youth team player despite having featured regularly for Barcelona’s first team this season.
According to sources familiar with the matter, La Liga decided to turn down the Blaugranes’ contract request as the team does not have enough room in its budget to register Gavi due to excessive spending.
Gavi has become a key player in the first-team Barcelona lineup over the past two seasons as well as a member of the Spanish national team, having represented his team at the 2022 World Cup. Having made 17 appearances for Barcelona this season, Gavi won the 2022 Golden Boy award for Europe’s best player under the age of 21.
