Gavi gives frustrated verdict on Barcelona future amid shock Chelsea links | OneFootball

Barcelona midfielder Gavi has emphatically quashed any talk of a transfer away from Catalonia this summer.

The tireless midfield tyro is no longer a regular in Barcelona's first team. This is to be expected after spending the best part of 11 months on the sidelines recovering from an ACL tear. Gavi has encouragingly avoided any fitness setbacks since making his long-awaited return in October, but his regular status as a substitute has prompted unwanted rumours.

Some outlets have reported on advanced interest from Premier League side Chelsea, with a bid of €60m (£50m) even floated. After coming on for the final 20 minutes of Barcelona's Champions League stroll against Benfica in midweek, Gavi delivered his forceful response to the speculation.

"People make up a lot," the enigmatic midfielder fumed. "They say offers from here and I don't know what, but it's all lies. I've signed five years at Barca and I'm going to see them out because it's the club of my life. I'll be there as long as I can. We rotate a lot, I'm calm, the manager trusts me."

Gavi has started less than half of his 25 appearances for Barcelona this season / Alex Caparros/GettyImages

An incident during the closing stages of Barcelona's 7-1 obliteration of Valencia in January highlights how Gavi's interests extend beyond his own personal development.

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick revealed a heartwarming scene when he ushered Gavi off the substitutes bench. "I wanted to put him on for the last 15 minutes, and he told me no, that I should put Pablo Torre in instead," the German boss revealed, visibly in awe of the 20-year-old. "That is incredible, it is fantastic.

"You can see how the team and the players are connected with each other. It is amazing. As a coach, it is incredible. I love Gavi. I love that attitude. He wants to play every match, and to speak like that in this situation is fantastic, it is top."

As Gavi outlined in his spiky response, he has a contract at Barcelona until June 2030 after penning a new deal as recently as January. There is little chance of the player - or the club - looking to end that relationship any time soon.