La Liga have removed wonderkid midfielder Gavi from the Barcelona first team squad on their official website as the row over his proposed new contract continues amid interest from Liverpool and Manchester United.
The 18-year-old was offered a new four-year deal by Barca in September, which contained a buyout clause of €1 billion and the promise that the midfielder would be given the number six shirt formerly won by Xavi.
At the time the contract was offered, Gavi was on a youth team contract, and The Athletic reported that another clause in the proposed deal stated that the Spain international could leave Camp Nou if he was not registered as a first team player by June 30, 2023.
In January, Barca sought a legal ruling allowing them to register the midfielder. La Liga had previously denied the registration, telling the club they were in breach of their salary regulations, as per the above report.
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A court then imposed a legal injunction which allowed Xavi's side to register Gavi.
However, they later agreed in La Liga's favour when the league claimed that Barca submitted legal papers over a separate case involving the contract, which was due to come to a permanent decision over the player's status, too late.
In even worse news for the Spanish giants, the club saw their appeal to register Gavi rejected by the courts this week, as reported by ESPN - and now La Liga have taken less significant but notable action.
La Liga remove Gavi from Barcelona squad
On their official website, which lists the first team players of each of the division's 20 clubs, La Liga have removed Gavi from the Barcelona squad list.
It is the latest development in the row between the league and Barca, and leaves Gavi's future steps uncertain.
Whether he does decide to leave the club this summer remains to be seen, although the Spanish giants do have a 20-day window in which to appeal the court's decision to block them from registering the Spain star. They have told The Athletic that they are seeking further legal action.
Should Gavi depart Camp Nou, he will no doubt attract attention from some of Europe's biggest clubs.
Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United have all been linked with a move for the 18-year-old, who can still play for Barca as normal under his youth contract.
The opportunity to sign him on a free would cause a huge scramble for his services - although Barcelona look set to continue their legal fight to register Gavi before June 30.
Topics: Premier League, Liverpool, Transfers, Barcelona, Gavi
Ryan Smart