After nearly a year out, Barcelona midfield gem Gavi made his return from injury in October, coming on as a substitute against Sevilla.
The 20-year-old was greeted with a rousing ovation from the fans and was even handed the captain’s armband by Pedri, who made way for his close friend.
Since then, however, the La Masia graduate’s situation has been far from ideal as he has had a rather irregular role in Hansi Flick’s team.
Indeed, even though Gavi has played in 11 of Barcelona’s 12 games since his return, the midfielder has featured for only 241 minutes out of the possible 1080 (two starts) while he has been on the field for just 39 minutes in their previous four matches.
Gavi calm despite the situation
Considering Gavi’s intense desire to always play and help the team, one might think the youngster may be feeling frustrated with his current situation.
However, as per SPORT, those close to the 20-year-old ace explain that he is calm and understands that this situation is part of a natural process.
After being sidelined for nearly a year, Gavi knows that he needs to gradually reintegrate into a team with established players such as Marc Casado, Pedri, Dani Olmo, and Fermin Lopez.
Gavi is being eased back into the thick of things. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
The 20-year-old also has to adapt to the ways and demands of new manager Hansi Flick and get to the rhythm needed for the high-intensity football being played.
Key player for the present and the future
Despite these challenges, everyone at Barcelona is certain that Gavi will become an important player for the team again this season.
This is the view of both Flick, who is pleased to have a player of his qualities in the squad, and Deco, the club’s sporting director.
At just 20 years old, Gavi is considered one of the core players around whom the Blaugrana plan to build a competitive team for the long term, with him being viewed as a ‘future captain’ as well.
For this reason, Deco has been in discussions with Gavi’s agent to renew his contract which expires in 2026.
Both sides are optimistic, and it is expected that an agreement will be reached in the coming months, once Barcelona’s financial situation improves. The renewal would see the La Masia gem stay at the club until 2030.