Why Ousmane Dembele has people discussing a Gavi exit from Barcelona | OneFootball

Although few can question his commitment to Barcelona, Gavi’s exit from the starting XI has been a talking point in the Catalan capital in recent months. One that Ousmane Dembele has fanned the flames of.

The Paris Saint-Germain star was one of Gavi’s good friends in the dressing room after the two spent time recovering from injury together before the Frenchman left. When Gavi scored in February of 2023, he even dedicated a goal to Dembele, who was injured and in the stands at the time.

According to Radio Catalunya, PSG have an interest in Gavi, and Dembele would be one of the connections that could perhaps persuade the 20-year-old that a move is a good idea. It is worth noting that former Spain manager Luis Enrique was always one of Gavi’s greatest admirers too, and would no doubt be delighted by a reunion, and Gavi was recently reported to be one of two players Barcelona could consider for a big-money sale. On top of this, Dembele recently changed his Instagram profile to a picture of himself and Gavi sat together in training.

Image via Instagram / Ousmane Dembele

That move has of course spiked speculation over a potential move. It should be noted that Gavi recently reaffirmed his desire to stay at Barcelona, where he is under contract until 2028, and explained that talk of an exit was ‘invention’. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick also made it clear he felt Gavi was an important part of the club’s future.

Gavi has not started a game since mid-February though, and is yet to complete a full match since getting the medical green light in October. With Fermin Lopez, Pedri, Marc Casado, Frenkie de Jong, Dani Olmo and Raphinha all competing for places, minutes are not easy to come by. Gavi did get a run of starts in January, but has fallen out of the team with the return of Dani Olmo.

The same outlet do explain that Gavi is set for an increase in game time though. Barcelona see him as a future club captain, and he was told by the medical staff that he would take at least five months to get back to full fitness after over a year out. Now, with Casado injured and Gavi having had a full recovery, Flick reportedly plans to increase his involvement in the crunch phase of the season.