Premier League heavyweights Liverpool are reportedly intensifying their efforts to sign Spanish prodigy Gavi from Barcelona in the summer.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Liverpool will step up their interest in Gavi heading into the summer’s transfer window. The Barcelona prodigy is keen on remaining at Camp Nou, with the Blaugrana closing in on reaching an agreement with him over a contract renewal.
Gavi has been at Barcelona since arriving from Real Betis in July 2015 and has since made tremendous progress at the Catalan club. The 17-year-old broke into the first-team squad at the onset of the ongoing campaign after making swift progress through the ranks in the youth setup. And he has taken his opportunities with both hands.
The Spanish prodigy, now a regular feature for club and country, has turned out 39 times across all competitions for Barcelona this term, chipping in with two goals and six assists. Gavi’s progress has not gone unnoticed, with some of the most high profile clubs in Europe, including Liverpool, setting their sights on him.
The interest from Liverpool stems from the advancing years of James Milner, with the veteran Englishman in the twilight of his career. While Milner could extend his contract in the summer, the fact that he is 36 years old will not be lost on Jurgen Klopp.
In addition, Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are on the wrong side of 30, with the former Barcelona midfielder also troubled by several injuries during his Liverpool stint. Gavi is thus a viable target for Liverpool as Klopp looks to oversee a seamless transition from the current generation to the next.
The theme runs in the Liverpool attack, with Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota coming in as long-term successors for Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. The Reds are now intensifying their efforts to land the Barcelona prodigy, whose release clause is worth €50 million.
But recent reports have claimed that Gavi intends to remain at Barcelona, snubbing interest from Liverpool and other suitors like Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain to extend his stay at Camp Nou. SPORT corroborates that, claiming Barcelona and Gavi are closer to reaching an agreement, with the financial terms yet to be ironed out. The new deal will also do away with the €50 million release clause, bumping it to €1 billion.
