MADRID, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona announced on Friday that Spain international midfielder Pablo Martin Paez Gaviria, known as "Gavi," has signed a four-year contract extension until the end of June 2030.

The 20-year-old joins Ronald Araujo, Gerard Martin and Pedri in committing his long-term future to the club, with the announcement of his new deal coming just 24 hours after Pedri signed an extension until the same date.

Born in southern Spain, Gavi joined Barcelona's youth system in 2015 from Betis and made his first-team debut in August 2021, shortly after his 17th birthday.

Gavi's combative style and goal-scoring ability have made him a regular under all the Barcelona coaches he has played for, including Ronald Koeman, Xavi Hernandez, and Hansi Flick. To date, Gavi has made 131 first-team appearances, scored nine goals and provided 17 assists.

Gavi suffered a serious knee injury in November 2023 while playing for the Spanish national team, which kept him out of action for 11 months.

"Cules (Barca fans), I am very happy to renew my contract with the club of my life and I hope we can bring you a lot of happiness this season," he said in a brief video message published on social media.

The ability of Barcelona's sporting director Deco to secure the futures of key players such as Gavi, Pedri, and Araujo - despite uncertainties regarding Araujo's potential departure in the summer - means the club has successfully locked in its core squad for the long term.

Veteran central defender Inigo Martinez is expected to sign a new contract next, but that extension will likely only be for one or two seasons. Enditem

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