BarcelonaGavi is not just character. Gavi is also football. And a lot. Luis Enrique was in charge of remembering this after the Spanish national team’s draw against the Czech Republic, in which the Asturian coach did not hesitate to get rid, once again, in praise of the Barça midfielder. Gavi beat his teammate, Ansu Fati, as the youngest goal scorer in the history of the Spanish national team by scoring. He did so at the age of 17 years and 304 days. Ansu scored his first goal for the 17-year-old and 311-day national team against Ukraine, also in a UEFA Nations League match. “Gavi ‘s best is pack complete. He has a goal, as I said a long time ago. He has drive, race and quality. If there was one player convinced on the pitch, it was him. Not just without a ball, but with it, it’s better. You’ll see, “praised the Spanish coach.
This Monday, another Barça coach joined the young midfielder trained at La Masia. “As a Barcelona player, I hope to renew with Barça,” said Pep Guardiola, who has addressed the press as part of a charity golf tournament in Mallorca. Gavi’s renewal is a priority for the coaching staff headed by Xavi. “It’s a vital renewal. For us, for the club, for the fans,” they told ARA from the Barça dressing room. Although from thestaff they are confident that the renovation will be successful, President Joan Laporta surprised with statements in an interview with The Sports in which he accused Gavi’s representative, former player Iván de la Peña, of being “comparing” other offers and not accepting Barça’s proposal. The midfielder ends his contract in 2023 and his termination clause is 50 million euros.
Although Xavi’s desire is clear regarding the player’s renewal, the club did not hide the fact that his sale would be a net capital gain when it comes to helping Barça’s damaged accounts. Unlike Frenkie de Jong, for whom there are still about 60 million euros to be repaid – taking into account different economic concepts – the sale of Gavi would be a net income because he is a player trained in the house. His will is to continue as a Barça player, aware that he is one of the franchise footballers of the generation that Barça has named dream teen. In fact, the prominence and leadership that is gaining the bulk of young people in the locker room have also been important drivers for the renovations of Ansu, Pedri and Araujo.
His performance with Spain
Meanwhile, Gavi is still focused on the Spanish team. His performances with Spain continue to grab headlines and is an indisputable piece for Luis Enrique. At Barça, the Los Palacios midfielder has been the sixth player to play the most minutes this season. In fact, he even remembers an episode in which he ended up exhausted against Granada, when he was a starter after being discharged after suffering from coronavirus. But when Xavi had Pedri, Busquets and De Jong in full swing, Gavi often became the fourth midfielder and came in from the bench. His last minutes with Spain have put on the table the debate of whether he performs better with the Spanish team than with Barça.
“Gavi is in a very good shape at the moment. While other players may not be doing so well at the end of the year, he stands out in this respect. He would also point out a matter of confidence. he is an important player, but there are also Pedri, De Jong … “, says Àlex Delmàs, former footballer and analyst. “Tactically, there is also an explanation. Gavi, with Spain, is in an environment similar to that of Barça: it is an interior that has to wait, receive between the lines, maintain its position (although sometimes it can come out). .. In addition, he shares teammates in the eleven in both Barça and the Spanish national team, but the game with Spain is more vertical, with more breaks, more rhythm … And that works great for him. at a higher and more vertical pace it also involves more risks when it comes to losing the ball and Gavi, in the post-loss pressure, is very good “, he adds.
For his part, the former Barça coach Carles Martínez makes similar arguments. “Gavi’s performance is very good with both Barça and Spain. With the Spanish team, the priority is felt inside, and this is noticeable. In addition, with Spain, the ends tend to appear more inside, which allows to Gavi to move more between the lines and gain more dynamism “. Martinez also discusses pressure management. “At Barça he is often one of the first to come out and put in the effort so that others can get the ball back, and instead, with the Spanish national team, sometimes it is the extremes who jump to the pressure and he can wait longer in the his zone, recover the ball and launch the counterattack “, concludes the Catalan coach, current coach of the Kuwait U-20 team.
