Barcelona have enjoyed a really enjoyable start to the month of February. The Blaugrana saw their lead at the top of the La Liga table extended to eight points after a crushing win over Sevilla on Sunday.
Real Madrid dropped points again and it appears that the league title is destined to come back to Camp Nou this time around.
But that wasn’t the only good news that the Barca fans received.
The club also announced that they were able to officially register Gavi to his first professional contract – after a bit of a tussle with the league’s organizers over it. In doing so, they ensured that the Spanish midfielder couldn’t be poached by any other team in the summer.
Gavi is now contracted to stay at the club until at least 2026 and has even been given the iconic no.6 shirt at Barcelona. This was the shirt number worn by current Barca manager Xavi, who helped them enjoy an era of incredible success before his retirement.
In his first home game wearing this new shirt, the 18-year-old Spaniard gave fans something to be joyful about with a really efficient performance. Not only did he help Barca control the game and run Sevilla into exhaustion, but also scored a clever goal from close range.
How one goal bonded Gavi and Dembele forever
The Spanish midfielder operated in the role of a left-winger in the game, again displaying how amazingly versatile and talented he is. Gavi was also urged to play the role to make up for the absentee Ousmane Dembele, who recently suffered another crushing injury.
The Frenchman suffered a nasty thigh injury in Barca’s 1-0 win over Girona last month.
Because of it, he is expected to miss a number of upcoming games – including the doubleheader against Manchester United in the Europa League playoff round – with the first leg set to take place next week.
Gavi paid a sweet tribute to his injured teammate by celebrating the goal with him.
After scoring the goal, he ran all the way to the Barca home bench dugout to give a big hug to Dembele – who was seated just behind the bench.
The French winger seemed to be delighted to be greeted by his younger teammate, as he was pictured looking very happy during the exchange.
The two are very close and seem to have a bromance going on between them for the last few seasons.
Gavi might be among the youngest players in the Barca squad, but his heart of gold is helping him gain more popularity among the Barca fans.
Gavi is the ultimate team player
This isn’t the first time that Gavi has tried to uplift his injured teammates during his Barca career either. The teenage sensation even paid a heartwarming tribute to his fellow midfielder Pedri last season during a period when he was out with an injury.
Gavi scored a goal in Barca’s 3-2 win over Elche and dedicated it to Pedri by doing his trademark glasses celebration. He also pointed to his teammate watching in the stands, with Pedri looking very happy.
The Spanish duo are best buddies and always there for each other, with Pedri supporting Gavi at the last Ballon d’Or ceremony in which he won the Kopa Trophy.
Coming up through the system and being a major fan of the club, Gavi is Barcelona through and through. He also appears to be a friendly, encouraging teammate and an admirable human being. Going by how rapid his development is going, it won’t be surprising if the 18-year-old becomes Barcelona captain in a few years’ time.
