Joan Laporta, president of Spanish giants FC Barcelona, has on Thursday provided a fresh insight into the club’s efforts to tie midfield prodigy Gavi down to fresh terms.
And the news will no doubt be met with widespread approval on the part of the Blaugrana faithful.
The subject of Gavi’s future has of course long taken its place front and centre in the headlines in the Catalan capital.
This comes with those in a position of power at the Camp Nou having seen their efforts to tie the club’s latest breakthrough La Masia talent down for the long term fail to bear fruit.
Gavi, at just 17, established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet of boss Xavi Hernandez across much of this past season, since exploding onto the international stage with Spain, too.
Such remarkable endeavours culminated in inevitable speculation that a number of Europe’s rival heavyweights – chiefly Liverpool – had begun expressing a keen interest in luring the midfield all-rounder away from Barcelona this summer.
In fact, some outlets went as far as to suggest that the Premier League giants were ready to leave Xavi and co. helpless, by means of activating Gavi’s release clause.
As alluded to above, though, if the latest word stemming from the Camp Nou is anything to go by, then the Blaugrana faithful need not fret.
Speaking during an exchange with the media on Thursday, Joan Laporta was asked for an update on the club’s ongoing contract negotiations with Gavi’s entourage.
And the Spanish patron went on to confirm that a definitive agreement between the two parties is 'on the verge' of being closed. This comes with the deal at the 'final stages'.