Gavi signed a new contract with Barcelona, extending his stay at the club until 2026. The official announcement of the extension came on Wednesday itself.
And today, Barcelona completed the contract signing in a ceremony at Spotify Camp Nou, with over 4000 fans present at the stadium to celebrate the occasion.
A La Masia product, Gavi made his first-team debut last season and has not looked back since. Just 18 years of age, the midfielder is already a regular in the starting XI for Barcelona and even the Spanish national team.
With his previous contract expiring next year, clubs across Europe were sniffing around the possibility of signing him this past summer. However, Gavi snubbed all interest as he had his heart set on succeeding at Barça.
The teenager has signed a four-year contract that runs until 2026 and comes with a massive release clause worth €1 billion.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta was present alongside Gavi as he signed the deal and then spoke highly of one of the most exciting talents to have come through La Masia in recent years.
“Today is a historic day because we are looking at the present and the future of Barça. Gavi represents talent and effort,” Laporta said.
“It is a happy day for Barça, for Gavi and for all the culés. I am grateful that his family is here and I thank Iván de la Peña, who encouraged him to come to Barça because he had many other proposals,” he added.
Gavi puts pen to paper! 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/q2n2CDBs4v
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) September 15, 2022
Gavi then took centre stage and expressed his feelings about signing the new contract with Barcelona and what it meant to him, saying: “I’m very happy. I have always wanted to succeed at Barça. My family, my representative and I have been clear that we wanted to succeed here.”
“Scoring goals wearing this shirt in front of the best fans in the world is a dream,” the teenage midfielder added.
Talking about the success that he has already seen at such a young age, Gavi said: “I try to take it as normal as possible, at La Masia they helped me a lot.
“La Masia is something unique and I am also grateful to everyone… The chefs, the teachers, the coaches, everyone. They taught me to work and to be humble.”
Speaking about one of the most memorable moments in his short career, Gavi said: “The day I scored my first goal for Barça’s first team will always stay with me.”
Source: BarçaTV+