Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has confirmed that they will consider going into the market to compensate for Gavi’s season-ending injury.
The 19-year-old midfielder suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament against Georgia while on Spain duty on Sunday evening, something Xavi denied had caused any ire towards Spain manager Luis de la Fuente for his handling of Gavi’s fitness.
Since, much of the reporting around Barcelona has been speculation over whether Barcelona would try to sign a replacement for him January. La Liga rules allow the Blaugrana to bring in a replacement for up to 80% of the value of Gavi’s wages.
“Substituting Gavi? There is nothing to announce. We will speak with Deco to see what we can do.”
“I am in contact with the president and with Deco on a daily basis. We will announce what we deem appropriate. They know my position and I know theirs and from there, it is about finding a consensus. Evidently we are losing a footballer for the whole season, and ee will see what we can do and we will see if we can bring someone in.”
One of the most talked about signings has been Vitor Roque. The 18-year-old Brazilian will sign for Barcelona next summer in a deal that could be worth up to €61m, but there has been plenty of reports claiming that Barcelona, and specifically Xavi, want to bring that move forward to January.
“This is not the time to talk about the market. We have Vitor Roque and we are looking at others. We have Rayo, Porto and Atletico. It makes no sense to talk about this. If there is news, we will announce it to you.”
The alternative option, by consensus of thought, appears to be to bring in a central midfielder. Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso has been the most talked about option, but the reality for Barcelona is that any addition will have to be on the cheap. It would likely have to be a loan without a fee, and for less money than Gavi was on, which may see Barcelona unable to find an option that they like, in spite of their efforts.
