Gavi has stripped contract with Barcelona and registered with lower salary and old shirt number, putting Man Utd on transfer alert

GAVI was stripped of his contract and squad number at Barcelona as the club cannot register as a first-team player in LaLiga.

The midfielder can return to the financially struggling club this season but will have to register as an academy player on his previous contract after two appeals were rejected.

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The highly rated 18-year-old is also required to wear the number 30 instead of the number 6 he received when he registered as a first-team player.

This has been confirmed on LaLiga’s website as the player’s profile is shown with his squad number.

Barca have a negative financial record, largely due to their Champions League elimination in the group stage, and so LaLiga didn’t confirm Gavi’s extension.

But with Gavi, the situation could prove even more costly for the Catalan side.

Nou Camp Club had figured the departures of Memphis Depay and Gerard Pique would allow them to register Gavi.

He has been a regular under manager Xavi for the last two seasons and has already made 87 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Gavi has also recorded four goals and eleven assists during his time in the first team.

The Spain international’s contract expires at the end of the season and would therefore allow him to leave the club for free.

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He has already been linked with moves to Man United, Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

Unless Barcelona find the financial space to register the midfielder’s new deal, which could result in a distress sale of star players.

The other option for the club is to find new sponsors to increase the amount of money going to the club.

The Spanish giants face a summer without signings after wild spending saw the club struggle to control their costs.