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European giants Liverpool and Bayern Munich launched bids for Barcelona starlet Gavi before he committed his long-term future to the Blaugrana, Spanish outlet AS (via Sport Witness) has claimed.
Gavi, 18, is one of the most highly-rated young midfielders in the world. Despite his tender age, he has already held his own against some exceptionally gifted footballers, both for Barcelona and his country, Spain.
The Blaugrana greatly value his contributions and recently rewarded him with a well-deserved contract extension, with the official communication arriving on September 14. Gavi’s new contract is set to keep him at Camp Nou until June 2026 and includes a whopping €1bn release clause.
According to the aforementioned report, Gavi’s agent Ivan de la Pena received multiple offers for his client before the Barcelona renewal. Liverpool and Bayern Munich, who have won the Champions League a whopping six times each, were reportedly on the list of Gavi’s potential suitors. Paris Saint-Germain, who are gunning for their first-ever Champions League trophy this season, also threw their hat in the ring.
Another Spanish outlet, Mundo Deportivo has corroborated AS’ claims, stating that both Liverpool and Bayern Munich thought Gavi would be perfect for their respective leagues. It is believed that the Reds tabled a higher offer than the Bavarians.
The report further claims that Liverpool were not the only English team to bid for the young Spaniard. The outlet, however, did not name the other interested English party.
The La Masia graduate, who made his Barca debut in a 2–1 La Liga win over Getafe in August 2021, has thus far featured in 53 games across competitions. He has recorded two goals and six assists for the 26-time Spanish champions.
Gavi made his international debut in a 2-1 UEFA Nations League win over Italy in October 2021. So far, he has played 10 games for the Spanish national team, scoring once.
Gavi put in an impressive shift in Barcelona’s defeat to Bayern Munich
Barcelona succumbed to a 2-0 defeat in their Champions League gameweek two clash with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night (September 13). The Blaugrana’s defeat was primarily down to their lackluster finishing, with Robert Lewandowski in particular firing blanks against his old team.
Gavi was one of the standout performers for Xavi’s men at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday. He made four key passes, delivered an accurate cross, and won two ground duels. In 61 minutes on the pitch before being substituted, Gavi also pitched in with valuable defensive contributions, making one interception and attempting two tackles against the German champions.
Gavi was the most creative force in the first half by a country mile. He conjured the same number of chances as the entire Bayern team (4) and more than what the rest of the Blaugrana players managed to do (3) (via Squawka).
