Barcelona teenager Gavi has signed a contract extension until 2026 that includes a release clause of €1 billion.
The Spanish midfielder was given his Barca first-team debut by then manager Ronald Koeman against Getafa in La Liga in August 2021 aged 17 years and 24 days, making him the fourth youngest in the club's history.
He became the youngest player ever to play for Spain after being named in Luis Enrique's starting XI in the win against Italy in the Nations League in October 2021, aged 17 years and 62 days.
He broke the record held by Angel Zubieta Redondo, who donned the Spain jersey for the first time in 1936 aged 17 years and 284 days.
“He can be the future of this team, but he can also be its present too because he has the personality to play at this level,” said Enrique after the match.
Gavi scored his first goal for the Catalan giants two months later during a 3-2 win over Elche, which made him the third youngest goalscorer for Barca.
By June 2022, he had become the national team's youngest scorer, finding the net against Czech Republic in June – aged 17 years and 304 days – breaking the record set in 2020 by his Barca teammate Ansu Fati.
Bayern Munich 2 Barcelona 0: player ratings
The 18-year-old has started in all of Barcelona's matches this season, with the club currently second in La Liga behind Real Madrid.
Gavi, who has played for the club since 2015 and was already under contract until 2023, will officially sign his new contract on Thursday in an open event at Camp Nou.
After Barca's recent 3-0 La Liga win at Sevilla, current manager Xavi hailed Gavi as the “heart” of his team after a standout performance from the Las Masia graduate.
“It doesn’t surprise me, I see him train every day,” said Xavi. “It’s down to hard work, discipline and heart. He was the best player in the game, because of his intensity, fight, passing, high pressing – he has heart in his legs.”
There was disappointment for Gavi and Barca in the Champions League on Tuesday night, though, when they were beaten 2-0 by Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
It was a night to forget for striker Robert Lewandowski, who left the Bavarians for Barca during the summer.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
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- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Location: Southport, Merseyside, England
Established: 1889
Type: Private
Total holes: 18
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"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
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Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Winner: Mudaarab, Jim Crowley (jockey), Erwan Charpy (trainer).
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Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Richard Mullen, Hassan Al Hammadi.
6pm: UAE Matyrs Trophy (PA) Maiden Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Salima Al Reef, Jesus Rosales, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
6.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Apprentice Championship (PA) Prestige Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Bainoona, Ricardo Iacopini, Eric Lemartinel.
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