Gavi 'could leave Barcelona for free this summer' following court ruling

The 18-year-old's new professional contract has been under huge scrutiny

After the most recent development in a protracted legal issue about the registering of a fresh agreement he reached back in September, Barcelona wonderkid Gavi may be permitted to depart the club in the summer for free.

Although just 18 years old, Gavi has made 84 appearances for the Catalan giants and has played a significant role in helping Xavi's team construct a 12-point advantage at the top of La Liga. Gavi made his debut at the Nou Camp last season.

In September, he agreed to a brand-new, massive four-year contract with a €1 billion release clause. It was the initial agreement he had inked since his first professional agreement, which he had made when he was 16 years old and had yet to appear for Barcelona's first squad in 2020.

The Athletic, however, said that they were unable to enrol Gavi as a first-team player, therefore his position was changed to that of an academy player in the club's most recent dispute with LaLiga over pay constraints.

The Spain sensation was still listed as an academy player when his new contract was signed last year, but there was a plan to transform this status into a first-team player, which was able to be accomplished during a transfer window.

Nevertheless, they could not participate in January because LaLiga claimed Barcelona had over their pay cap.

Gavi's new contract included a provision allowing him to depart on a permanent deal in the summer if he is still not listed as a primary team player by June 30, 2023.

Barcelona attempted to rush through Gavi's enrollment as a first-team player by seeking a court judgement soon before the end of January. They did this without previously informing LaLiga.

The Catalan giants said that the Spanish league's reluctance to register Gavi's new contract was a result of "a harassment campaign" against the team.

They were relatively successful, according to the article, and on January 31 a court issued a temporary agreement that required LaLiga to record Gavi as an official team player until a stronger long-term agreement could be reached in a subsequent lawsuit. The court gave 20 days for that case to be submitted.

On March 2, Barcelona submitted documentation for this new lawsuit, but LaLiga contested this and said that they had filed their paperwork beyond the deadline.

The Athletic continues by stating that the court last week decided in favour of La Liga and stated that Barcelona did, in fact, file paperwork late.

After receiving five days to react, Xavi's squad was given the ultimate say about whether Gavi should participate in his first professional team or the academy.

LaLiga announced how they will change the midfielder's identification to an academy player in the following days as a result of the court's decision to withdraw the interim injunction that had forced LaLiga to recognise him as a member of the first squad.

Barcelona allegedly denied the claim that they submitted the paperwork after the deadline and that they intended to challenge the ruling.

Although it won't affect Gavi's ability to play for the first team, he will need to switch back to his previous jersey number, 30, and the possibility that he would be available for a free transfer will undoubtedly alert potential suitors.

This entire incident appears to be the most recent chapter in an increasingly acrimonious conflict between Barcelona and LaLiga over financial rules that made it difficult for them to register signings.

Gavi is now on international duty with Spain preparing for this week's Euro 2024 qualifiers against Norway and Scotland under new manager Luis de la Fuente, who took over for Luis Enrique after the World Cup.