Barcelona have been fighting issues off the field for a long time and the club are understood to be once again threatened by financial pressures.
The LaLiga champions have a number of hugely talented youngsters who are being followed by the world’s top clubs, including 19-year-old Gavi, and the midfielder is one that could be used to bring in a large fee.
A bid of £120million could secure Gavi and, if he were to be made available, Chelsea and Manchester City would be extremely tempted to make a move.
Pep Guardiola is a massive fan of the academy product, and sources state he would have the biggest pull in any potential transfer.
Chelsea have a plan to buy the best youngsters around and build a side who can compete at the top for years to come. Gavi is the exact kind of target the owners would like to bring to London and they have a history of pulling off blockbuster and unexpected deals.
A major factor in any decision over Gavi’s future will come down to the Spanish international himself, who has no desire to leave the club he joined from Real Betis aged just 11. He recently signed a five-year deal that holds a release clause worth a staggering £866million.
Despite the new Gavi deal, the club were initially not able to pay the registration fee due to being over the budget set by LaLiga and its Financial Fair Play rules. They were eventually able to register the No.6 after winning a court battle with LaLiga in June.
The Catalan club are still chasing their tails financially and their woes continued after LaLiga slashed their spending cap from £600million to just £220million. The final figure accounts for the maximum amount clubs should spend on wages, bonuses and amortisation payments on transfers across a season.
Barca are also set to take a big hit in revenue due to their move to the Estadi OlÃmpic LluÃs Companys with their stadium currently being redeveloped into the Spotify Camp Nou.
Barcelona could still be overbudget
The club did set out to cut their wage bill in the summer with several players leaving including Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, two of the highest earners in the squad.
Ousmane Dembele, Franck Kessie and several more were sold for combined fees in excess of £70million and the likes of Ansu Fati and Clement Lenglet were among those sent out on loan.
It is expected that the club will still breach the cap set by the ruling body of the Spanish game and, therefore, will need a cash injection to avoid sanctions. Many sources, therefore, are readying players, like Gavi, for a potential big-money move in the summer of 2024.