
LaLiga has announced that a court decision allowing Gavi to be registered as a first-team player at Barcelona has been overturned due to the Catalan club filing their lawsuit late. Gavi, aged 18, signed a new contract at Camp Nou in September 2021 until 2026, but LaLiga did not clear the deal because Barcelona exceeded their spending limit. Barcelona filed a lawsuit against the decision, and on January 31, a court ordered LaLiga to accept Gavi’s registration, with his previous terms due to expire in the summer.
However, LaLiga has now stated that the judgement has been reversed because Barcelona missed a deadline for the filing of the main lawsuit, invalidating Gavi’s new contract. Barcelona sources have denied missing any deadlines and have said that the decision is not final, and Gavi’s registration will not be reversed until it is final.
In the worst-case scenario, Gavi could technically become a free agent in the summer if there is no resolution before then, but sources at Barcelona have said they do not expect that to happen. Even if he loses his first-team registration, the Spain international will still be able to play for Barcelona this season under his previous enrolment as a youth-team player.
Barcelona has work to do to ensure Gavi’s deal will be registered for next season, and they are also yet to inscribe Ronald Araujo’s new terms, which were agreed upon in April 2022. LaLiga president Javier Tebas has stated that they need to cut almost €200 million from their annual spending ahead of the 2023–24 season, and they will not be able to afford any signings this summer. In contrast, Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said the club will work hard to strengthen and are targeting a right-back and a forward.
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