Barcelona’s young star, Lamine Yamal, is attracting attention from top clubs around the world, including Paris Saint-Germain. Despite being only 17 years old, Yamal had a standout 2023/24 season with Barcelona, scoring seven goals and providing ten assists in 50 games for the senior team. His impressive form has continued at the international level, making him one of the standout players at Euro 2024 with Spain.
Paris Saint-Germain is reportedly still interested in signing Yamal as they search for a successor to Kylian Mbappe. The club is willing to pay a world-record transfer fee to secure the young talent’s services. However, Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, has declared Yamal ‘untouchable’ and has no intentions of selling him. The club needs funds to continue operating at their current level but are adamant about keeping the talented youngster.
Barcelona faced a similar situation in 2017 when PSG paid a world-record fee of €222m for Neymar, triggering his release clause. This time around, however, Yamal’s contract with Barcelona includes an astronomical €1bn release clause – far beyond what PSG is willing to pay. The youngster is content at Barcelona and his agent, Jorge Mendes, is pleased with the club’s development plans for him. Barcelona has quickly integrated Yamal into the first team and has a clear vision for his future with the club.
Yamal’s impressive performances have caught the eye of many top clubs around the world and it will be interesting to see if he decides to leave Barcelona or stay put and continue developing his skills with one of Europe’s biggest clubs.
