Barcelona is considering its alternatives for a temporary replacement for 19-year-old Gavi after it was reported on Monday that the player had sustained a complete anterior cruciate ligament damage.
This season, the adolescent midfielder has been essential to Xavi Hernandez, starting most of the games and missing just two due to suspension. Barcelona may look to La Masia or the Barca Atletico team as options, but those teams have already developed players who are relatively new to that level, having elevated players like Gavi and Fermin Lopez before they would have under normal conditions.
Lending starlet Barcelona may attempt to call up the 20-year-old Pablo Torre as he is not receiving the playing time they had hoped for at Girona, even if Xavi did not give the player many opportunities the previous year. For the remainder of the season, Barcelona will be able to replace Gavi at 80% of his contract, and Xavi might be
MD claim that one of their summer targets could be the solution to the conundrum facing Xavi. Argentina and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso was on Barcelona’s shortlist over the summer, with the Blaugrana interested in a loan move for the former Villarreal and Real Betis playmaker. The 27-year-old was more keen on remaining at Spurs, to see if he could win a place in the new era of the North London club under new manager Ange Postecoglou.
Having appeared just four times, amounting to only 83 minutes, that has not been the case. The Catalan daily say that Xavi is still keen on Lo Celso, and he could fit the bill if the finances can be worked out.
It will be intriguing to see if Xavi and Barcelona do attempt a loan deal to replace Gavi, and if so in what form. Before his injury, much of the focus on their shortcomings was in the pivot position, where Oriol Romeu is yet to convince as a regular starter there. Following Gavi’s injury, Xavi could focus on a deeper midfielder, knowing that Ilkay Gundogan, FermiGavin Lopez and Pedri all prefer to operate further forward.