Chelsea met with Barcelona prodigy’s agent, player upset over contract registration issues

In a sensational development, AS is reporting that Chelsea held a meeting with the agent o Barcelona prodigy Gavi three weeks ago in order to send out feelers over a possible transfer in the summer.

It is claimed that the meeting was satisfactory for both parties and more talks are set to take place soon as Chelsea look to lure the 18-year-old midfield sensation to Stamford Bridge in the summer.

Gavi started the season on his youth contract, but was handed a new and improved deal by Barcelona in September. While it was not possible to register it at the time due to Financial Fair Play problems, the club made attempts to take care of the issue in January.

Despite roadblocks from La Liga, Barça were able to register Gavi as a first-team player on January 31 owing to a precautionary measure obtained from the court. The youngster was even handed the #6 jersey.

However, following La Liga’s appeal, the precautionary measure was suspended in March which meant Gavi’s registration was overturned and he was back to his youth contract, which expires on June 30.

With his new contract not being valid for now, if Barcelona do not register him in the summer, Gavi can leave the club as a free agent. While it was previously reported that he was not worried by this, the aforementioned outlet claims that Gavi is upset with the entire matter.

It is stated that the 18-year-old feels Barcelona have not given the matter enough priority and is unhappy with how things have been handled. And, amidst this, Chelsea are now said to be trying to swoop him away from Catalonia.

As per the report, the Blues’ officials, led by director Christopher Vivell, held a meeting with Gavi’s agent Ivan de la Pena in Madrid three weeks ago. During the talks, they expressed their desire to sign the midfielder and made it clear that he would be given a star status in the team and a handsome salary.

Apart from a multi-million dollar contract, Chelsea would also be willing to offer Gavi a hefty signing bonus if he were to arrive for free. The report states that the meeting was very satisfactory for both parties and another one is scheduled to take place soon to firm up the interest.

Apart from this, another incentive for Gavi to consider Chelsea is the possible appointment of Luis Enrique as manager. The Premier League giants are looking for a permanent manager to replace caretaker boss Frank Lampard at the end of the season and Enrique is very much in the running.

The former Barcelona boss gave Gavi a breakthrough in the Spanish national team and a chance to reunite with him could appeal to the 18-year-old.

If true, it gives Barça another major headache and they must prioritise working on the contract registrations or risk losing one of their prized gems.