Transfer Talk: Gavi on cusp of Barcelona deal with €1 billion clause to halt Liverpool, Bayern interest
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The summer transfer window is closed for the major leagues in Europe. However, with an eye on January, there’s plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
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Barcelona midfielder Gavi is set to sign a long expected contract extension that includes a release clause of €1 billion as soon as Thursday, according to Diario Sport.
Sources had told ESPN in June that Barca had been working on “a big financial effort” for the 18-year-old that included the sizable clause in deal that will reportedly keep him with the Blaugrana through at least 2026.
Liverpool and Bayern Munich had been linked with the Spain international, whose current deal ends in summer 2023, but any transfer will become incredibly difficult to complete now due to the size of the reported release clause.
Thursday is purposefully picked out as the day to complete the deal, as it comes before Gavi heads off on international duty with Spain. This is also the only day that is free between travelling back from the Champions League match against Bayern and Elche‘s visit to Camp Nou on Saturday.
Gavi’s presentation is likely to be similar to those of Hector Bellerin and Marcos Alonso in that it will be done without the public in attendance.
– Sky Sports state that Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham is set for to the Premier League in the summer, adding that Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City are all interested. There was plenty of talk around the 19-year-old during the summer, and it appears that is set to continue throughout the next year.
– With Konrad Laimer‘s RB Leipzig contract set to end in the summer, Fabrizio Romano reports that Bayern Munich are among the clubs hoping to sign the midfielder as a free agent. Liverpool were seriously interested in the Austria international during the summer, but were unable to reach an agreement with Leipzig to bring him to Anfield.
– Milan Skriniar was constantly linked with a move away from Internazionale throughout the summer, but the Serie A giants are now hoping to make sure that the Slovakia centre-back stays past his 2023 deal, according to Calciomercato. Paris Saint-Germain is the club Skriniar was most strongly linked with Inter could make Skriniar their second-highest earner in order to persuade him to stay and lose him as a free agent.
– AC Milan have been in constant contact with Pierre Kalulu‘s agents since last May and are close to holding more renewal negotiations, reports Calciomercato, even with the Frenchman’s current deal not ending until 2025. The defender currently receives a salary of €400,000 and Milan are looking to increase that to €1.2m, although Kalulu wants that number to be around €1.5m. A meeting is already scheduled to take place before the end of September to come to an agreement, with the centre-back wanting to stay put.