Barcelona to register star midfielder's contract extension after Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba's departures - Reports

According to SPORT, Barcelona will be able to register Gavi's contract extension after the departure of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. Busquets and Alba have announced that they will leave the club at the end of the ongoing season.

The exits will free up almost €40 million in the Blaugrana's wage books. It will help the club register Gavi's contract extension, and offer improved terms to defenders Ronald Araujo and Alejandro Balde.

Gavi agreed an extension till 2026 with the club in September 2022, but La Liga ruled that the team didn't have enough resources to officially register the midfielder.

However, the departure of two veterans at the end of the season should help Barca register Gavi's new contract, the release clause of which will be €1 billion.

Barcelona's sporting director Mateu Alemany recently said about the Spanish midfielder's contract extension (via Barca Universal):

“Gavi and Araujo are protected by Barça with a release clause of €1 billion, each one. We will register them with their new contracts, I don’t know when, but they are Barcelona players. We will solve everything.”

Gavi has been a crucial player for Barca this season. The youngster has made 47 appearances across competitions this season, scoring two goals and providing six assists.

Barcelona coach Xavi was surprised by the decision to overturn Vinicius' red card

Vinicius Junior was the subject of racist abuse during Real Madrid's 1-0 loss against Valencia at the Mestalla. The Brazilian winger was sent off during injury time after the second half for reacting to the repeated provocations.

Vinicius' red cad has since been rescinded by the Spanish FA. While Xavi strongly condemned racism, he claimed that the red card shouldn't have been overturned.

Speaking to the media, Xavi said (via GOAL):

"I’m surprised that Vinicius’ suspension has been removed. There was aggression and that’s unquestionable."

Barca, meanwhile, have suffered two straight defeats in a row after confirming their status as the La Liga 2022-23 champions. After a 2-1 loss to Real Sociedad, the Catalan club were beaten 3-1 by Real Valladolid. They will be hoping to end the season on a high with wins in their remaining two fixtures.