The midfielder, whose extension at Barca is still tied, shone against Portugal and endorsed the stripes given to him by Luis Enrique
In addition to goalscorer Morata, Spain’s draw against Portugal on the first day of the League of Nations featured a prominent protagonist: Pablo Paez Gavira, better known as Gavi. Barça’s very young midfielder has been the mainstay on which the national team’s attack has revolved, which lacks that twisted fang to kill games in time and avoid subsequent hot flashes, such as the one that provided the Portuguese with the Horta target.
The regal footballer was the sharpest man in Luis Enrique’s team, challenging the defense of the Iberian neighbor with great verticality and taking part in La Roja’s most dangerous moves in Benito Villamarín, from which he came out with a standing ovation. The goal that gave Spain the lead germinated in his boots, with a series of moves that summed up much of the virtues that graced the great game he completed at the Heliopolitan stadium: a sense of anticipation to almost reach the ball. guarded by Unai Simón, the ability to lead with head held high, a perfect mastery of space and clairvoyance to release the pass to Sarabia at the right time.
Already in the first minutes, Gavi had threatened with a good shot and created a lot of play between the lines. And after leading that electric counter-attack that opened up the scoreboard in a very exciting game, he assisted Carlos Soler in a game that could have been the second goal for the Spanish team had the Valencia midfielder been more accurate, as did Morata, who couldn’t get any income from a great service from Seville.
To all this he added his huge commitment and that villain point that allows him to measure himself against any opponent, no matter how fierce, as he demonstrated in his disputes with Pepe. He successfully completed 94.4% of the deliveries he attempted, the most effective of the outfield players who started against Portugal, he made two key passes and above all left again the feeling, at the age of 17, of that with the national elastic offers its best version.
Interestingly, Portugal’s goal came a minute after Luis Enrique ordered his replacement. “I changed it because it took a hit,” argued the coach, who praised the pearl to whom he awarded the alternative in the ‘final four’ of the previous edition of the League of Nations and launched a message that some interpreted as a wake-up call for the Barça board as the youth squad’s contract extension is still stalled.
“With Gavi, I feel that he is still an unknown in Spanish football, even to people who are close to him. With the ball, he is a very special player. A pure interior, able to give the last pass He has a goal, he has a header and overwhelming physical strength. A unique player,” said the Spaniard. “It’s not my rule to criticize anyone, but I say what I see and what I feel. I’m not talking about your club, I’m talking in general. Gavi is an unknown in Spanish football. Without the ball they see they are fighting, but with the ball he is a stranger, that’s what he wanted to say,” he specified.
Despite this clarification, the truth is that Gavi’s future at Barca remains in question. The delicate economic situation that the club is going through under the chairmanship of Joan Laporta makes negotiations with the footballer difficult. His contract expires in 2023 and contacts with his representative, former culé player Iván de la Peña, started months ago, but so far without the fruit desired by both sides. “His representative plays and compares,” said the maximum Barca president a few days ago.
Gavi’s intention, whose termination clause is €50 million and has clubs like Liverpool very attentive to his situation, is to renew the tie that unites him with Barca. He feels valued by Xavi, with whom he has completed a season in which he was the sixth player with the most minutes on the squad and the fourth with the most games played. But his award, due in large part to his role on the national team, has skyrocketed and he is aiming for a salary based on his performance.
However, Barca’s offer is subject to strict financial controls imposed by the League, prompting the Culé board to negotiate another salary cut for the squad. Everything indicates that Gavi will start his holiday on June 13 with his future in the air. A scenario that does not alter his contribution to La Roja, with whom he played 76% of the possible minutes since October 6 last year, he became the youngest debutant in the history of the selection at 17 years and 62 days.
Source: La Verdad
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