Rumours gathered pace quickly: Barcelona needed money, Rodri was arriving, competition in midfield was increasing and Gavi had suddenly emerged as a possible sacrifice.
Manchester United were even linked with a €40 million offer plus another €15 million in variables for the Spanish international.
But Fabrizio Romano has now moved to shut the story down completely.
Speaking about the growing speculation, the transfer market specialist made it clear that Gavi has no intention of leaving Barcelona, while the club is equally convinced that the midfielder remains an important part of their plans.
“Gavi will not be leaving Barcelona. That is absolutely impossible.
“Barcelona are more than satisfied with Gavi, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Barcelona and Gavi began discussing a new contract in the coming months,” he said.
Barcelona are working under financial pressure and continue to look for ways to strengthen the squad, with Rodri’s arrival and the pursuit of a top-level striker creating a need for further room in the budget.
That naturally led to speculation over whether a major sale could become necessary.
Gavi’s name, however, does not appear to be part of that conversation.
Manchester United link dismissed
Gavi’s links with Manchester United has no basis. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
The Manchester United story emerged at a time when Gavi’s place in the starting XI had become a subject of debate.
Barcelona’s midfield is packed with quality, and the arrival of another elite player would only increase the competition for places.
While Hansi Flick values Gavi highly and enjoys a strong relationship with him, regular starts cannot simply be handed to anyone.
On that note, Manchester United were credited with an interest and a potential €55 million package, but Romano has directly rejected the claims, stating,
“All of this is nonsense and completely untrue; Gavi is staying.”
Furthermore, the Italian journalist also explains that the midfielder’s future is also not expected to be affected by Rodri joining the club.
Instead of creating a reason for Gavi to consider an exit, Romano believes the move could actually benefit him.
“Rodri’s move to Barcelona is simply excellent news for Gavi; their relationship is excellent.
Gavi will not leave Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
“Rodri’s move does not in any way imply that Gavi wants to leave”
Rodri could strengthen Gavi’s role, not end it
This is where the logic behind the transfer speculation starts to weaken.
Gavi does not need to be the same type of midfielder as Rodri, and Barcelona would not necessarily see the arrival of one as a reason to lose the other.
Their profiles are different, and Flick could use both depending on the opponent and the system.
The bigger question for Gavi will be how Barcelona manage their midfield depth across a long season.
Competition will be fierce, but that is different from being available for sale.
The club certainly need to make financial decisions elsewhere, and competition for places will continue to be intense.
But based on Romano’s information, Gavi’s Barcelona future is not one of the issues currently up for discussion.