Liverpool are allegedly stepping up their efforts to capture Spanish prodigy Gavi from Barcelona during the summer transfer window.
Liverpool will increase their interest in Gavi ahead of the summer transfer market, according to a report from Spanish daily SPORT. The Barcelona wunderkind wants to stay at Camp Nou, and the Blaugrana are close to reaching an agreement with him on a contract extension.
Gavi has been with Barcelona since July 2015, having joined from Real Betis. Since then, he has made significant improvement at the Catalan club. After quickly rising through the ranks in the junior system, the 17-year-old broke into the first-team squad at the start of the current campaign. And he has seized every opportunity that has come his way.
This season, the Spanish prodigy has appeared 39 times for Barcelona in all competitions, with two goals and six assists. Gavi's growth hasn't gone unnoticed, with some of Europe's most prestigious teams, like Liverpool, keeping an eye on him.
Liverpool's interest derives from James Milner's advanced years, with the experienced Englishman nearing the end of his career. While Milner's contract might be extended in the summer, Jurgen Klopp will not overlook the fact that he is 36 years old.
Furthermore, Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are both over 30, with the former Barcelona midfielder having been plagued by injuries throughout his time at Liverpool. As a result, Gavi is a feasible target for Liverpool, as Klopp seeks to ensure a smooth transition from one generation to the next.
In the Liverpool attack, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota have been brought in as long-term replacements for Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. The Reds are now stepping up their attempts to sign the Barcelona prodigy, who has a €50 million release clause.
However, according to recent sources, Gavi wishes to stay at Barcelona, despite interest from Liverpool and other suitors such as Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. Barcelona and Gavi are reportedly closer to striking an agreement, according to SPORT, with the financial specifics yet to be worked out. The €50 million release clause will be replaced with a €1 billion release clause in the new arrangement.