Barcelona could lose star player for free in the summer transfer window

It’s been more than 48 hours since Barcelona registered the statement 2-1 win over Real Madrid and took a giant leap – a 12-point advantage – towards La Liga title. It was the show of midfielders for the Catalan giants, as Sergi Roberto and Franck Kessié got on the score-sheet to send their fierce rivals home empty-handed.

Another midfielder, despite not scoring or assisting, was in the limelight for his exploits during El Clásico. Gavi’s aggressive attitude in and out of possession played a big part in Barcelona’s comeback but also irked the visitors after his altercations with Dani Ceballos.

The Spain international, currently on international duty, is still attracting headlines, but this time for a different reason.

Barca’s star on the pitch, Gavi’s status has been returned to that of a Barcelona academy player. This comes after the club lost its court appeal to register the talented midfielder as a first-team player. Following his contract extension in September, La Liga declined his registration because they believed the Spanish giants were in breach of their salary limit rules.

Barcelona could lose star player for free in the summer

Gavi is allowed to play as normal for his side. But here’s the interesting part: his contract extension included a clause allowing him to leave for nothing if he’s not registered as a first-team player before June 30, reports The Athletic.

Although Barcelona intend to take further legal action on the matter, Gavi’s situation is bound to raise the eyebrows of interested clubs.

As the La Liga leaders work on fixing the salary limit issue, a host of Premier League clubs have been linked with their players. Gavi was understood to be on Liverpool’s radar before he agreed to extend his contract at Camp Nou. For now, there’s no indication that he wants to leave Barcelona, but as long as the situation around his status remains unresolved, nothing can be ruled out.