Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, has acknowledged the challenge of replacing the injured Gavi in the transfer market and downplayed speculation about the club seeking a new midfielder in January.
Gavi’s 2023/24 season appears to be concluded following an ACL tear and meniscus damage suffered during Spain’s 3-1 victory against Georgia in Euro 2024 qualifying on Sunday.
There are reports suggesting Spain might delay
call-up until 2025, having reportedly upset Barcelona by playing him in less significant fixtures. However, Barcelona is also accountable for overutilizing the 19-year-old, who has featured in 111 out of the 121 games since his debut in 2021.
With Gavi facing an extended period on the sidelines, there has been speculation about Barcelona seeking a temporary replacement in the January transfer window. Names like Liverpool’s Thiago Alcantara and Tottenham Hotspur’s Giovani Lo Celso have been linked to a potential move to Catalonia.
But speaking to EFE, Deco insisted there are no plans to directly replace Gavi with a new signing.
“Today, Gavi is a player who cannot be replaced. There is no player available on the market to do his job, neither with his mentality, nor with his ability,” Deco said.
“Discussing about replacing Gavi is a mistake; it is a mistake to think that we are going to find a player to replace him. We will not find him.
“We are not going to go crazy with Gavi’s injury. It is sad for him, for us as a club, but we will not find a replacement.
“We are very sad, but I am sure that he will come back strong, he will recover. He is a young kid who has incredible strength, and what we are going to do is help him come back strong, taking whatever time it takes to recover. That is the most important thing.”
Without Gavi, Barcelona will play in La Liga again on Saturday when they travel to Rayo Vallecano. Barca will probably have Pedri and Frenkie de Jong back in the mix in Gavi’s short absence.