Barcelona chief angers agent; midfielder deal in jeopardy

Barcelona president Joan Laporta's comments about Gavi's contract renewal has caused confusion and angered his representatives. The 17-year-old midfielder has one year remaining on his current deal and the Catalan club is desperate to tie him down to a long-term contract.

The club and Gavi's representatives have been in talks for a number of months but are yet to reach an agreement. The young midfielder's contract standoff has attracted interest from a number of clubs across Europe from the likes of Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Juventus.

Barcelona held a meeting with Gavi's agent Iván de la Peña following the conclusion of the 2021-22 La Liga season. They are said to have tabled an offer until the summer of 2027 with a release clause of €1 billion, similar to the contracts of Pedri and Ansu Fati.

However, Laporta called on De la Pena to respond to the offer on the table after accusing him of comparing Barcelona's terms with other offers on the table. He also made it clear that the club will not improve upon the deal currently on the table, as they have no intention of offering wages beyond the club's means.

"The agents have had the offer on the table for a long time. We don't have any news that they have accepted it. The news we have is that they are comparing it with other offers," Laporta said, as quoted on Sport.

"We'll not improve the offer, as I don't want Barcelona to continue in the same path as the people before us. I would encourage Gavi's agent to accept our renewal proposal as soon as possible. It will help us plan for next season," he added.

Laporta's accusations has irked Gavi's representatives, who have communicated that Barcelona are yet to table an official offer despite holding talks. They are hopeful the situation can be resolved at the earliest, especially since Gavi is keen to extend his stay at the Camp Nou.

Xavi Hernandez is desperate for the young midfielder to sign a new deal after an impressive debut campaign. Gavi has made 47 appearances in all competitions after breaking into the first-team this season, and is expected to be an integral part of the team going forward.

"These things take time, but I'm hopeful that in a few days we can announce something," Xavi said recently while discussing Gavi's new deal.