Liverpool are thought to be interested in signing Barcelona wonderkid Gavi, who is now being likened to Camp Nou legend Lionel Messi.
The Reds already have one technically-gifted midfielder who was schooled at Barcelona’s La Masia academy, with Thiago Alcantara a key man for Liverpool.
Yet with Thiago into his 30’s and suffering some injury problems, we could see Liverpool go into the market for another La Masia sensation.
Spanish journalist Gerard Romero claims the Liverpool have offered Barcelona teenager Gave a contract worth around £5million-a-year, or £96,000-a-week.
Mundo Deportivo add that Gavi would prefer to stay at Barcelona but Jurgen Klopp is insisting on him joining Liverpool this summer.
Barcelona’s huge Spotify sponsorship deal will certainly help their finances, but Liverpool appear be lurking with intent when it comes to Gavi.
Spanish football expert Guillem Balague has now offered his view on the Gavi situation whilst speaking to BBC Sport about the midfielder.
Balague talked up Gavi’s ‘hyper-competitive’ nature, believing his sheer desire to win – at anything in life – has brought him into the Barca team, with that mentality surely just what Klopp wants.
Balague noted that whilst Gavi’s hero is Andres Inieista, his comparison and impact at a young age is actually similar to that of Lionel Messi – a very lofty comparison.
It’s even added that Gavi thinks he can become a Barcelona legend, but to do that he will need to stay put rather than leave.
With that in mind, Liverpool’s chances of signing Gavi appear to be slim – but many thought that about Messi actually leaving Barcelona last summer.
All Liverpool can do is position themselves as the number one option should Gavi choose to leave Barcelona, even if that looks hard to imagine.
“He is hyper-competitive, unable to lose at dominos or cards without pulling a face and losing friends, but that is what has brought him into the first team,” said Balague. “You need that personality to go through the phases you have to [at Barcelona’s academy] as a young talent. In his case, he has jumped levels. He started playing with the 17-year-olds when he was still 15.”
“He has played more in the first team than the B side. Once he goes into the new phase he is completely calm. This is where he belongs.”
“His idol is Andres Iniesta but I compare his progression to Lionel Messi, who made his debut at 17 as well. There was absolutely no problem with Messi being accepted in the first team, in the same way Gavi was accepted.”
“For a player who has been with Barca since 11, his positional game is not the best. He wants to be everywhere. You look at the stats and he is one of the guys that runs the most. He has to run a little less and be clever in the way he does it.”
“[Barca] trust he will play over 100 games for the club. He has a contract until 2023 and they want to renew it. He wants to stay at the Nou Camp. He believes he will be a legend at Barcelona,” he added.
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