• Gavi signs new long-term Barcelona contract featuring €1bn release clause as Joan Laporta locks down another major asset

Gavi has become the latest Barcelona star to commit his future to the club, signing a new contract that will keep him at the La Liga giants until 2030. His deal includes a staggering €1 billion (£836m/$1bn) release clause, reaffirming Barcelona’s determination to secure their young talent.

Contract renewals have been a priority for Barcelona in recent weeks. Ronald Araujo recently put an end to speculation about his future by signing fresh terms, followed by Pedri’s contract extension on Thursday. Just 24 hours later, Barcelona confirmed that Gavi had also signed a new five-and-a-half-year deal.

“I’m very happy to commit to the club of my life,” Gavi said after signing his contract.

 

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Gavi has become the latest to put pen to paper, with Barca saying on the club’s official website: “The Andalusian has literally been with Barça for half his life. It was a decade ago now in 2015, when he left Real Betis to join La Masia, and he has grown as a blaugrana both personally and as a footballer. His debut with the first team came on 29 August 2021, not long after he had turned 17, and it was clear that nothing would faze him from day one.

“Gavi has character and drive in abundance, which he combines with great technique, defensive awareness and goalscoring ability, with his nine goals to date testament to just that.”

 

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Reports indicate that his new deal retains the €1bn release clause from his previous contract, significantly higher than the €65m clause in Araujo’s agreement. Barcelona are keen to avoid losing the 20-year-old midfielder under any circumstances.

Next in line for a renewal is centre-back Iñigo Martínez, while 17-year-old superstar winger Lamine Yamal has already confirmed his intention to extend his stay. Yamal’s current deal runs until 2026, but he is expected to sign a long-term contract on his 18th birthday in July.

 

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Gavi, a pivotal player for both club and country, sustained a season-ending injury during the November international break.

Xavi, addressing the press, expressed the significance of Gavi’s loss and described it as a tragedy, emphasizing the irreplaceable qualities of the 19-year-old. Despite criticism directed at De la Fuente for playing Gavi during the international break, Xavi refrained from blaming the Spain boss, attributing the injury to the strenuous football calendar.

Xavi highlighted the demanding schedule as the primary reason for Gavi’s injury, emphasizing the challenges posed by the frequency of matches and playing time. He stated that there was no controversy with De la Fuente, emphasizing the need to address the broader issue of the football schedule.

While Xavi confirmed sending routine fitness updates to the Spanish Federation, he clarified that he did not have a decisive role in the selection process, acknowledging that each federation makes its own decisions.

Drawing from his personal experience of a similar injury in December 2005, Xavi disclosed that he had advised Gavi on the importance of recovery and professionalism. He emphasized the need for Gavi to prioritize recovery and not compromise on it, drawing on his own lessons from the past.

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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.

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Barcelona’s quest for a hat-trick of Golden Boy Award victories, following Pedri and Gavi’s successes in 2021 and 2022, was thwarted this year by Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, who claimed the prestigious honor.

However, Barcelona did not leave the Golden Boy Awards empty-handed, as their teenage prodigy, Lamine Yamal, received ‘The Youngest’ award. This specific award recognizes the youngest footballer ever to make it onto the podium for the Golden Boy Award.

Yamal, at just 16 years of age, made it to the final list of Golden Boy nominees due to his impressive performances with Barcelona and the Spanish national team. The acknowledgment of ‘The Youngest’ award adds to the accolades for the budding talent at Barcelona.

A talent like LAMINE YAMAL cannot go unrewarded. @FCBarcelona wonderkid is The Youngest! pic.twitter.com/Y5M8orVSjN

— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyAwards) November 17, 2023

Having made his senior breakthrough towards the end of the last season, Yamal has solidified his position as a first-team regular under coach Xavi, even netting his first goal for Barcelona.

The teenage winger’s remarkable progress extends beyond club football, as he has successfully broken into the Spanish national team, scoring two goals in just three matches.

Given his early achievements and potential, it is noteworthy that Yamal could be a strong contender for the Golden Boy Award in the next four editions. Many anticipate that the teenager will likely secure the prestigious honor in the coming years.

In addition to Yamal’s rising star, Barcelona Femeni superstar Aitana Bonmati was recognized with the Golden Player Woman Award for 2023, underscoring the club’s excellence across genders and age groups.

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In 2023, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham claimed the prestigious Golden Boy award, recognizing him as the best footballer under the age of 21.

Established by the Italian outlet Tuttosport in 2003, the award is decided by journalists’ votes. Previous recipients include football luminaries like Wayne Rooney (2004), Lionel Messi (2005), and Paul Pogba (2013), with Barcelona’s Gavi securing the honor last year.

Bellingham’s achievement comes on the heels of his Kopa Trophy win at the Ballon d’Or awards in October, where he was acknowledged as the best under-21 player globally. Notably, the 20-year-old midfielder finished 18th in the senior men’s Ballon d’Or based on his performances with his former club, Borussia Dortmund.

Since joining Real Madrid from Dortmund during the summer transfer window, Bellingham has garnered praise for his outstanding performances, registering 13 goals and three assists in 14 appearances across all competitions this season.

In a historic feat, he became the second player in Real Madrid history to score in his first three Champions League games.

Despite stiff competition from nominees such as Rasmus Hojlund, Jamal Musiala, and Benjamin Sesko, the England international secured the award. Additionally, Real Madrid’s Linda Caicedo was honored with the Golden Girl award, recognizing her as the standout player in the 2022 Copa America.

Among the Premier League nominees were Manchester United’s Hojlund, Chelsea’s Levi Colwill, Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, and Brighton’s Evan Ferguson.

The nominees in full

• Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
• Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
• Xavi Simons (RB Leipzig)
• Antonio Silva (Benfica)
• Alejandro Balde (Barcelona)
• Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
• Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig)
• Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta)
• Rasmus Hojlund (Manchester United)
• Levi Colwill (Chelsea)
• Johan Bakayoko (PSV Eindhoven)
• Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth)
• Arthur Vermeeren (Antwerp)
• Evan Ferguson (Brighton)
• Lucas Gourna-Douath (FC Salzburg)
• Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)
• Ousmane Diomande (Sporting Lisbon)
• Arnau Martinez (Girona)
• Mathys Tel (Bayern Munich)
• Andy Diouf (Lens)
• Arda Guler (Real Madrid),
• Bilal El Khannouss (Genk),
• Martin Baturina (Dinamo Zagreb)
• Joao Neves (Benifca)
• Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)

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Jude Bellingham, the Real Madrid and England star, has been awarded the 2023 Kopa Trophy, beating out several talented young players to claim the prestigious honor.

Bellingham’s impressive performances, including scoring his first goal for England at the 2022 World Cup and his stellar season with Borussia Dortmund before joining Real Madrid, contributed to his victory.

Jude Bellingham won the 2023 Kopa Trophy, congrats 👏#ballondor pic.twitter.com/Od05dyIecy

— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) October 30, 2023

The 20-year-old midfielder has continued to shine at Real Madrid, scoring 13 goals in his first 13 games for the club, including a crucial double in a recent El Clasico victory over Barcelona. Bellingham outperformed other nominees, including his club teammate Eduardo Camavinga, Barcelona’s Pedri and Gavi, and Germany’s Jamal Musiala, who secured the second position.

Bellingham is also a strong contender for the 2023 Golden Boy Award, which will be announced in the near future. His remarkable achievements have made him the first English player to win the Kopa Trophy, signifying his status as one of the brightest young talents in the football world.

JUDE BELLINGHAM IS THE 2023 KOPA TROPHY! #TrophéeKopa #ballondor pic.twitter.com/JuEvgY1WAO

— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) October 30, 2023

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The 2023 Kopa Trophy nominees for the Ballon d’Or’s top young player award have been unveiled. Among the contenders are the reigning champion, Gavi, and the Real Madrid sensation, Jude Bellingham. The Kopa Trophy is an accolade presented annually as part of the Ballon d’Or ceremony, recognizing the most outstanding player under 21 years of age.

Gavi represents one of the three Barcelona players in the running for the award, alongside full-back Alejandro Balde and the 2021 victor, Pedri. Their exceptional contributions played a pivotal role in guiding Barcelona to their first La Liga championship in four years.

Most likely, someone from the other side of the Clasico split will get the award. After a spectacular season at Borussia Dortmund, Bellingham was signed by Real Madrid for a record £85 million plus add-ons throughout the summer. The England international has made an immediate impact, scoring five goals in his first four La Liga games.

The midfielder is now largely regarded as one of the top players in the world, not only among the best young players but among all footballers.

Bellingham is joined by fellow Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga in being nominated for the award, with the rest of the nominees coming from across four different European leagues.

Manchester United’s recent acquisition, Rasmus Hojlund, who was signed for an initial £64 million from Atalanta, is the sole representative from the Premier League on the list of nominees.

Meanwhile, Elye Wahi from Lens represents Ligue 1, the skilful defender Antonio Silva represents Benfica and the Primeira Liga, and the Bundesliga is represented by Xavi Simons, currently on loan at RB Leipzig from Paris Saint-Germain, and Jamal Musiala from Bayern Munich, rounding out the list of nominees.

Kopa Tophy 2023 nominees

• Jude Bellingham – Borussia Dortmund/Real Madrid
• Alejandro Balde – Barcelona
• Eduardo Camavinga – Real Madrid
• Gavi – Barcelona
• Rasmus Hojlund – Atalanta/Manchester United
• Jamal Musiala – Bayern Munich
• Pedri – Barcelona
• Xavi Simons – PSV Eindhoven/RB Leipzig
• Antonio Silva – Benfica
• Elye Wahi – Montpellier/Lens

When is the Kopa Trophy 2023 winner announced?

The Kopa Trophy will be presented to the top young player in Europe on October 30 during an event at Paris, France’s Theatre du Chatelet.

Here are all of the 2023 Kopa Trophy nominees
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Jude Bellingham @realmadrid
🇪🇸 Gavi @FCBarcelona
🇩🇪 Jamal Musiala @FCBayern
🇫🇷 Eduardo Camavinga @realmadrid
🇪🇸 Pedri @FCBarcelona
🇳🇱 Xavi Simons @RBLeipzig
🇪🇸 Alejandro Balde @FCBarcelona
🇵🇹 Antonio Silva @SLBenfica
🇩🇰… pic.twitter.com/0MDlU5M6hp

— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) September 6, 2023

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Gavi’s youth contract was set to end this summer, and he and Barcelona reached a long-term extension last September. However, the deal wasn’t recognized because of the club’s financial difficulties, which prevented them from raising players’ salaries without first lowering them.

Inconveniently, other clubs from across Europe kept a careful eye on the situation as Gavi technically drew closer to the conclusion of his contract, just in case Barcelona couldn’t come to an agreement with the midfielder.

But now that La Liga has officially validated Gavi’s registration as a first-team player, the ordeal is finally ended.

The 18-year-old’s contract now has a €1 billion release clause and extends until the summer of 2026.

Following the signing of his agreement, Gavi briefly wore the number six jersey for the season. The teenager was forced to switch back to his old number, 30 after La Liga determined that he could not be registered as a first-team player.

For manager Xavi, who mainly relied on Gavi last season, the uncertainty being resolved will be a huge comfort. The youthful midfielder made 49 games across all leagues, including 30 starts in La Liga, and contributed three goals and seven assists in the process.

Barcelona is still determined to reduce salaries this summer. Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba’s departures will definitely have been beneficial, but the Blaugrana are still anticipated to sell a few players to further their cause.

It was intended to utilize a significant portion of any additional income to re-sign Lionel Messi, but as a formal offer couldn’t be made in time, the Argentine chose to join Inter Miami instead.

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Despite recent rumours regarding Ansu Fati’s future, Barcelona president Joan Laporta has affirmed the club has “great aspirations” for the player.

Fati has been one of the highest-rated young players in Europe for the past number of years but has not played as much football as expected for Barça this season, making just seven La Liga starts.

Under manager Xavi Hernandez, the young player is now below players like Raphinha and Gavi in the pecking order.

The Spanish international’s lack of playing time has sparked speculation about his long-term future with La Blaugrana, Taccording to reports.

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The player’s representatives have contacted Newcastle United and the Premier League’s big six clubs to let them know that Fati is not happy with his current circumstances at Camp Nou.

According to sources, Fati is keen to play in the Premier League in the future.

When asked about the 20-year-old’s future however, Barça president Laporta was keen to dismiss speculation, stating: “He is a Barça player, in whom we have high hopes and we have no news that his agent wants to do anything.”

The young forward signed a contract that runs until 2027 with Barcelona in 2021 – a contract which contains a whopping £1bn release clause.

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Xavi has described Barcelona youngsters Pedri and Gavi as ‘even better’ than himself and fellow legend Andres Iniesta were at the same age.

Xavi and Iniesta, along with Sergio Busquets, did amazing things for Barcelona and Spain, winning numerous Champions Leagues, European Championships, and a World Cup.

Pedri and Gavi have set out to follow in those illustrious footsteps and have made a major impression so far, not least on Barca boss Xavi himself.

“When Iniesta and I were 20 years old, we weren’t as good as Pedri and Gavi are now,” Xavi told BarcaTV. “They are better than us,”

Another man that Xavi is hoping to see more from is the perpetually frustrating Ousmane Dembele.

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He started the World Cup final for France but was hauled off before half-time after giving away a penalty to cap off what was a disappointing tournament for him in general.

Xavi, though, is determined to fine-tune the richly talented former Borussia Dortmund man, and he is working with him to improve one key part of his game.

“Dembele is a difference-maker,” Xavi said. “He makes a difference in every game. He is a special player.

“We have worked a lot with him on his decision-making so that he always makes the right decision. I love him a lot and I trust him. He is the best winger in the world.”

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Numerous honours were handed to football players and teams at the 66th annual Ballon d’Or ceremony in recognition of their outstanding efforts during the previous calendar year.

On Monday, October 17th, 2022, The award ceremony was held at the Théâtre du Châtelet, this is a theatre and opera house, which is located in the place du Châtelet in Paris, France.

Karim Benzema won the Ballon d’Or yesterday night, making him the first Frenchman to do so since Zinedine Zidane in the past century. It is football’s highest individual honour.

He led Carlo Ancelotti’s team to a stunning LaLiga and Champions League double last season, scoring a remarkable 44 goals across all competitions, so it wasn’t a surprise.

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Gavi defeated players like Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka to win the Kopa Trophy as the greatest male player under the age of 21. The star of Barcelona, Alexia Putellas, won the Ballon d’Or Féminin for the second year in a row.

Beth Mead, who formerly played for Arsenal and England, finished second in the vote. The Yashin Trophy was won by Thibaut Courtois.

Check Here For The Award Won. 

BEST YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR – GAVI ( SPAIN, BARCELONA)

SOCRATES AWARD – SADIO MANE ( SENEGAL, BAYERN MUNICH)

BEST WOMEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR – ALEXIA ( SPAIN, BARCELONA )

BEST STRIKER OF THE YEAR – ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI ( POLAND, BARCELONA)

CLUB OF THE YEAR – MANCHESTER CITY

BEST GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR – THIBAUT COURTOIS

BEST MEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR – KARIM BENZEMA ( FRANCE, REAL MADRID)

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