Staying at Barca would make Gavi the happiest – Xavi

In response to rumors that teenage Barcelona midfielder Gavi would quit the team in the summer, Catalan coach Xavi Hernandez said on Saturday that he thinks Gavi would be happiest staying at the team.
Barcelona and Gavi agreed to a contract extension through 2026 in September, but the club has been unable to register it with La Liga due to financial issues.

Gavi can sign for any side for free because his previous contract, which was supposed to expire in June, is still in effect.

Gavi has recently drawn interest from Chelsea and Bayern Munich, but Xavi believes the 18-year-old should remain at Barcelona.

He has it all; he is valued by us, a starter at age 18, and a leader for the squad.

“He is a crucial player, and I find him to be exciting. He’s a fantastic football player, and I believe Barca is where he should stay because he would not be as content elsewhere.”

After graduating from his club’s La Masia junior system, Gavi has emerged over the past two years as a key player for both Barcelona and the Spanish national team.

Barcelona, who leads La Liga by 13 points, travels to Getafe on Sunday in an effort to win their first league title since 2019.

The team will travel by high-speed train to Madrid for the match instead of flying, which Xavi said was an effort to reduce pollution.

“I don’t know what other people are thinking, but I think that Gavi would not be as happy at any other team than he is at Barca,” Xavi told a news conference.

Because it takes a little longer, we hadn’t done it before “The coach was added.

“We believe that because the game is at four in the afternoon, it is the perfect opportunity to raise awareness about pollution.

“That won’t matter to us; we’re willing to consider it.”

French club Paris Saint-Germain encountered anger earlier this season after coach Christophe Galtier and scorer Kylian Mbappe made fun of a proposal that they take the train to close games rather than flying.

AFP