Barça making sure to secure Gavi and Araujo's future
The club have reassured those around them and promises that their contracts will be signed in the summer
La Liga continues to put the squeeze on Barça and Gavi is no longer registered as a first-team player. His renewal has been put on hold while waiting for the Blaugrana club to get their salary cap sorted out. The situation is complicated because Barça would have to reduce that wage bill by 200 million or greatly improve their income, but the club have guaranteed both Gavi and Araujo that their new contracts will come into effect this summer.
The Blaugrana sporting management, who maintain a very good relationship with the two players' representatives, have made it very clear that the agreed renewals will be an absolute priority and they will be the first signings for next season. Barça will also have to sign Sergi Roberto's new contract, Marcos Alonso's extension and those of Busquets and Balde if they end up renewing as well. But Gavi and Araujo are crucial and their situation will be prioritised.
Barça could even sacrifice a new signing if it were the case to bring in these two players. The room for manoeuvre is going to be very complicated and will require some big money sales to balance the figures, but there is no doubt that all the renewals will fall within the new salary limit and that there will be room to incorporate the players that are considered necessary to reinforce the new squad.
Both Gavi and Araujo are somewhat disenchanted with the situation, but they understand the situation Barça are going through and have no intention of leaving, even though they could leave for free in the extreme case that they cannot be signed. They both turned down very big offers to stay at Camp Nou for less money and they are pivotal in Xavi Hernandez's project.
