The young midfielder, barely 18 years old, signed his new contract with the culé club until 2026 together with Joan Laporta
“It’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was little, we’ve always been clear that I wanted to succeed here and I’m very happy for today,” Gavi said in his first words after signing the contract extension that links him to Barcelona until 2026. The young midfielder, barely 18 years old, ended the controversy over his renewal once and for all and faces his first contract as a professional player with a termination clause of 1,000 million euros, armor worthy of a superstar.
Important day suit, smile from ear to ear and satisfaction for the duties performed. This is how Joan Laporta and Pablo Páez Gavira, better known as Gavi, stood on the pitch at the Camp Nou. The two had something important to communicate to the fans who appeared there in an open-door event and the first to launch was the maximum president of the culé. “It is a historic day. I want to thank Gavi because it is a very happy day for Barça, for him and for all the Catalans. Also a special thanks to Iván de la Peña because when Gavi played at Betis he had many proposals and he encouraged him to come to Barcelona, ”he assured in a wink to the player’s representative, with whom he has had several scuffles during the negotiation.
And it is that until reaching this happy outcome, a path plagued with difficulties has had to be traversed. Gavi burned stages, one after another, first with Ronald Koeman, then with Luis Enrique and finally with Xavi, a coach for whom he has become an indisputable player in midfield. That meant that the claims of Iván de la Peña and those of the club remained diametrically opposed. There appeared the patience of Barcelona and that of a footballer who after several months of tug-of-war have reached a middle ground that satisfies all parties.
The act, which was brief, also had a moment to remember Gavi’s time in the Barça youth academy. Laporta presented him with a shirt with number 186 in reference to the place occupied by Los Palacios in the total number of La Masia players who have played for the Barça first team. «La Masia is something unique, you have to live there. I am very grateful to everyone, because since I was little they have taught me to work and to be humble”, said the player upon receiving the gift.
The ‘1,000 club’
The renewal of Gavi allows Barcelona to shield one of its most promising players and it does so with a termination clause that has already become a modus operandi within the culé club. Whoever wants to take the young midfielder without negotiating will have to scratch his pocket and pay a whopping 1,000 million euros, a figure identical to that which the entity chaired by Laporta has set for six other players. The ‘1,000 club’ is made up of Gavi, Araujo, Ansu Fati, Pedri, Koundé, Raphinha and Ferran Torres.
