Gavi says Barcelona teammate already the best in the world – ‘Only behind Messi’ | OneFootball

In the aftermath of FC Barcelona’s spectacular 5-1 win against Real Betis in the Copa del Rey, Gavi, one of the standout performers, spoke to the press about his teammates and the team’s recent form.

The young midfielder shone alongside Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, and Dani Olmo on Wednesday night, with the latter playing as a false nine.

Gavi got his name on the scoresheet against his boyhood club with a left-footed finish inside the area early in the game.

The La Masia gem’s performance reassured fans that he is returning to his pre-injury form, which is a huge boost for Barcelona after being sidelined for a year due to a cruciate ligament injury, which also affected his meniscus.

Speaking to the media, Gavi heaped praise on Lamine Yamal, calling him the best in the world, only behind Barcelona legend Lionel Messi.

“For me, he’s the best in the world, only behind Messi,” Gavi remarked.

“Lamine is very talented, the best right now. But it’s foolish to compare him to Messi because there will only ever be one Messi. He’s unique, just as there will only be one Xavi, Iniesta, or Busquets. We have to carve our own path,” he added.

Gavi scored against Real Betis (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The midfielder also addressed rumours about Ronald Araujo’s potential departure from the club, ruling out an exit in January.

“Barça fans should stay calm,” Gavi said. “Many journalists make things up, but Araujo is going to stay. A lot of things are reported in the press, but many of them are untrue. I’ve always trusted that Ronald will stay,” he stated firmly.

The midfielder also reflected on the team’s recent dip in form, attributing it more to a lack of results than poor gameplay.

“We played very well today, as we needed to,” he claimed.

“In our recent losses, we didn’t deserve the outcomes, but the ball just didn’t go in. I don’t think the dip was down to our gameplay but rather the lack of goals. We deserved to win every match where we dropped points.”

When asked about his preferred position on the pitch, Gavi left it up to the coach: “I can play in various positions, but it’s the manager’s decision.”

Source: SPORT