It rarely happens that a footballer who has already played more than 100 games with an elite team like Barcelona, who has already won a League, who is an absolute international 23 times and has even participated in a World Cup, suddenly reinvents himself. This is what happens at the beginning of the season with Gavi, who is starting to be what he didn't seem like. The Barça youth player had made his way and stood out for his energy, his winning character, his physical display and his tireless pressure. But there is more. It seems like a lot more. Beneath that first appearance hides an interior on good footing, with ease in playing with the first touch, with a lot of tactical sense and judgment in circulation. Barça is rediscovering Gavi, more of a La Masia insider than he had shown, while he, in his third year on the front line, is transforming into a total midfielder.
At 19 years old, the age of the Los Palacios midfielder, there are no absolute truths and everything can be discussed. Gavi had not finished shaping his personality, not even on the field. The player is willing to contradict those who did not see in him a dominant Barça interior installed in the opposite field.
His last two performances, against Antwerp and Celta, show a footballer who was influential in the origin and development of the play, far from the opponent's area. And he still scored against the Belgians and assisted Cancelo in the 3-2 win against the Galicians –after recovering the ball himself in the corner against Swedberg–. Both in the Champions League and in the comeback against the Vigo team Gavi played a little further back and came into contact with the ball a lot. In both cases he exceeded 80 interventions despite not playing an hour of the game since in Europe he had a break with 4-0 and in the League he came on in the 36th minute due to De Jong's injury.
In the two games Gavi distributed more than one good pass per minute on the field: 73 deliveries in 58 minutes against Antwerp and 64 in 54 on the day against Celta. Something that had not happened all last season if Gavi played so much. To this increase in participation we must add reliability because the midfielder has only missed 16 passes in the seven games played.
One of the first to warn of this double aspect in the Andalusian's game was Luis Enrique, with whom he became a fixture in the national team. “People see him play for Barça and only see a defensive player but Gavi not only runs, he is much more. He is a pure interior. He with the ball is unknown to Spanish football. I have it very clear,” he declared.
We must not forget that in youth football, Gavi was always a midfielder. However, when he debuted in 2021 in the first team under Koeman, he was classified as less orthodox, as opposed to Pedri or Nico, who he considered finer. Comparisons are always the order of the day at Can Barça. On his day, 25 years ago, Xavi also suffered them.
Last season, the Terrassa coach brought together four midfielders to gain strength and avoid losses and Gavi almost always had to be the false winger, which kept him away from the engine room. There he also adapted and was key, as in the Super Cup final against Madrid in which he scored 1-0 and assisted the other two goals. Something within the reach of the best.
Now Xavi uses him again at the base of his square and is not surprised by his good performance with the ball at his feet. “We know what he is capable of. He is very complete, he has both: he is excellent in defense and attack. He can be brilliant in both facets. Gavi is a beast of a footballer. He is soul, passion, heart.... he is a total footballer. Adding assists and goals is very good for a Barça midfielder,” the coach praises him.
Tonight in Mallorca Gavi will play his 104th game for Barça and will surpass Bartra and Belletti in appearances. Barcelona, after the signings of João Félix and Gündogan, has gained play between the lines and needs something else from him. And Gavi is showing that he is prepared to be important as an organizer and pivot, an aspect that he had hidden, waiting to be discovered.
