Transfer News: Chelsea in a three-way battle for 17-year-old La Liga rising star

Chelsea to face competition from Premier League rivals in a bid to sign Barcelona starlet Gavi

According to Mundo Deportivo (h/t Express), Chelsea are in a three-way battle along with Liverpool and Manchester United in an attempt to land Barcelona’s teenager sensation Gavi.

The 17-year-old has quickly made a name for himself with his consistent performances for the Catalans. The Spanish teenager has already made 33 appearances scoring two goals and providing five assists across all competitions for Blauranga this campaign, cementing his place in their lineup. The young starlet has mainly been deployed in central midfield but has also shown his prowess further up the field when played on the wings.

The Spaniard’s release clause stands at £42m if a deal can be finalised before next June. Past this summer window, his release clause will escalate to £84m. Despite this substantial price tag, Gavi shouldn’t have any shortage of suitors considering his impressive performances on the field for club and country.

Can the Spanish starlet fit in at Stamford Bridge?

The Blues have faced a period of uncertainty recently as Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the British Government in light of his ‘pro-Kremlin’ ties. This has majorly affected the West Londoners, with Petr Chech admitting that the club is now functioning on a day-by-day basis.

There has been some respite as the UK Government has given the green light for the sale of the club to go ahead but there are still bound to be some nerves until a new suitable owner is decided upon. Despite all these worries, the club has done well on the field in their recent outings.

The Stamford Bridge outfit has hugely relied on experienced options like N’Golo Kante, Jorginho, and Mateo Kovacic to hold the fort in the middle of the park. This trio has been hugely effective ever since Thomas Tuchel arrived at the club, playing a major role in their success over the last couple of seasons.

That being said, Kante and Jorginho are now in their 30s and the West Londoners could do well to future proof the midfield. The 17-year-old Spanish international can be viewed as a great long-term prospect in such circumstances. He could go on to become the spine of the midfield at Chelsea in the years to come if nurtured properly. His versatility and ability to play further up the pitch is another added bonus.

The teenager still has many of his best footballing years ahead of him and could also add suitable depth to our squad. Gavi is loved at Barcelona and seems to have become an important part of their plans under current manager Xavi Hernandez. He is growing in leaps and bounds and it would take something really special to tempt him out of the La Liga club at the moment.

Supplement that with the interest from bitter rivals Manchester United and Liverpool, not to mention that European giants such as PSG and Bayern Munich have also been keen on landing the youngster. All of these factors combine together to make an already difficult task even tougher.

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The London-based club is already facing issues and if they are seriously interested in hijacking any deal, then they would have to hope that they can find new owners willing to invest in the future as soon as possible. At the moment it seems like a very tough deal to pull through but only time can predict whether or not Gavi will don the Blues jersey on the field one day.