Lamine Yamal will not go to the Olympic Games. Only to the Euro Cup. In the always emotional Barcelona, they have also learned from situations previously experienced with players like Pedri, who played everything in his first season as a Barça player only to later suffer several muscle injuries. They also want to remove the pressure that other La Masia pearls like Ansu Fati have experienced from Lamine Yamal. Protecting the youngest, taking care of them and pampering them is a subject that the Blaugrana club, immersed in a complicated reconstruction process, is passing with flying colors.
The commitment to young people is firm. They are accompanied by Bojan Krkic, someone who knows well how difficult it is to be a promise with high expectations. Also the sports management with Deco. And the coach, Xavi Hernández. They all spoke with Lamine to convince him that he will have many options to participate in major sporting events if he takes care of himself and dosage himself. The goal is to enjoy a long and successful career. Lamine listened, understood it and so did his surroundings.
The other part needed to be worked on. That of the offices with the Federation. Xavi spoke with Francis Hernández, general coordinator of the RFEF’s youth categories, and with his deputy, Tito Blanco. It pays no one to exhaust a footballer who is developing at the speed of light. It also helps that Francis Hernández and Tito Blanco know Lamine Yamal well. They were two key figures last August when they traveled to Barcelona to convince him that his future was with the Spanish team. His family always supported him in this decision. One thing is his roots – he is the son of a Moroccan father and a mother from Equatorial Guinea – and another is his origins, which are in the humble neighborhood of Rocafonda (Mataró), which he visits frequently when he is free. At the moment the winger, who turns 17 on July 13, lives in La Masia. And he continues studying in the educational framework of the Barça residence. He renewed in October until 2026, which is the maximum allowed by law due to his age. The termination clause shot up to 1,000 million.
When he reaches the age of 18, the club will be able to offer him an agreement until 2030. The commitment is already reflected in the renewal, although those around him warn that the economic terms will have to be reviewed because the player, represented by Jorge Mendes, has become an expert in sweet for the market. His value has gone from 60 to 75 million euros in the latest update of the specialized portal Transfermarkt.
His entourage does not hide that PSG has already presented itself with an offer of 250 million. But the youth player does not see any other color other than Barça. And at Barça he, Ter Stegen and Pau Cubarsí, renewed until 2027, are non-transferable. In a second step and only in case of almost impossible exorbitant offers are footballers like Pedri or Fermín. With the rest, anything is possible. As for the upcoming season, everything indicates that Lamine will continue playing with the number 27. If nothing changes, he will be registered with the reserve team due to the excessive financial fair play that leaves little room for maneuver.