Todd Boehly has already spent over half a billion pounds on player signings at Chelsea, but he will be hoping to sign Barcelona wonderkid Gavi for free in the summer
Todd Boehly can gift Luis Enrique perfect first Chelsea transfer for free (Image: Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Chelsea are expected to be just as busy as they were last year in the summer transfer window, with players to sign, players to sell and a manager to appoint. Frank Lampard was recently appointed caretaker manager until the end of the season, while Todd Boehly continues his search for a new head coach.
Julian Nagelsmann, Luis Enrique and Zinedine Zidane have all been heavily linked with filling the vacancy at Stamford Bridge. Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti have also been name-checked in relation to the position, though the latter has ruled himself out.
While the American billionaire has been tasked with replacing Lampard, the likes of Christopher Vivell, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley have been entrusted with player recruitment. The Blues are said to have plenty of players on their radar, but one player in particular could be the perfect welcoming gift for Enrique should he be appointed the next Blues boss, and that’s Gavi.
The 18-year-old wonderkid faces an increasingly uncertain future at the Camp Nou with his contract at Barcelona set to expire in a few months. Gavi penned a long-term deal with his boyhood club in September, but that contract is now null and void due to the Spanish outfit’s ongoing financial problems.
In the meantime, Gavi has reverted to a far less lucrative youth deal which sees him become a free agent in the summer. And, according to AS, the Blues are hoping to persuade the teenage sensation to move to west London.
The report states that Gavi’s agent, Ivan de la Pena, met with Chelsea higher-ups in Madrid a few weeks ago and discussions went ‘very well’. With the west Londoners encouraged by the talks and Barcelona yet to clear their £178million debt, the Barcelona star would be a welcomed addition at Stamford Bridge.
But, would Enrique be in favour of the signing? He certainly would, it seems. Enrique handed Gavi his debut for Spain in October 2021 just a couple of months after his Barcelona debut, making him the country’s youngster ever international.
In November, the Spaniard heaped great praise on Gavi and claimed that he can ‘define an era’. As quoted by ESPN, Enrique said: “The most surprising thing for everyone is that someone, at 18 years and 100 days old, has that amount of self-confidence.
“You have to look at the intelligence he has in his positioning, how he dominates the technical aspects of football, and his physical capacity despite being 18. We have to stay calm, he’s 18, but he can define an era.”
Source: football.london
