Barcelona midfielder Gavi has agreed to a contract extension, the club announced on Wednesday. The teenager’s new contract will run until 2026.
While the La Liga club has long been optimistic about Gavi signing a contract extension, the Blaugranes were unable to move at an earlier stage due to several factors that prohibited one such action.
In Spain, players under the age of 18 are unable to sign contracts that are longer than three years, meaning that Barca had to wait until Gavi turned 18 in August in order to approach him with the offer.
The Catalan club also found itself in the midst of a financial struggle and consequently needed to free up some finances in order to make an offer. This included freeing up salary space in order to comply with the La Liga-imposed spending limit. Miralem Pjanic’s departure from the club to Emirati side Sharjah FC provided the club with the salary space required.
Gavi joined Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy at the age of 11. Last year, he broke into the first team, making his debut in August shortly after turning 17 years old. He made 47 appearances for Barca last season, earning a call-up to the Spanish national team.
