Barcelona’s club president, Joan Laporta, has verified that the club recently rejected a €200m bid for the 16-year-old prodigy, Lamine Yamal.
Recent reports from Spain suggested that Barcelona declined an almost record-breaking sum from Paris Saint-Germain for the young winger, as PSG seeks replacements for Kylian Mbappe who is set to leave.
During the debut of his new podcast on Barcelona’s club media, Laporta acknowledged the substantial offer for Yamal, though he didn’t disclose the bidder’s identity.
“We get offers for players like Lamine Yamal, for €200m, and we have said no,” he said, according to 90min. “Because we trust the boy, in his sporting projection, and we do not have the need [to sell], on the contrary. We are in a process of economic recovery and already seeing the end of the tunnel.
“We have had offers for Alejandro Balde, Fermin [Lopez], very important [players like] Gavi, Pedri, [Frenkie] De Jong, [Ronald] Araujo… but we do not want to sell them. Only with these that I have told you, we would be at a figure of €1bn in income [if they were all sold].
Yamal represents the latest gem from Barcelona’s renowned La Masia academy, and according to Laporta, transfer strategies should not obstruct the progress of such young talents into the main squad.
The club will only sign players essential for bolstering specific positions, ensuring these acquisitions do not conflict with La Masia’s principles of nurturing talent. The focus remains on elevating mature players from Barca Atletic, he explained.
For instance, [Marc] Casado recently made his first appearance after several call-ups without playing in La Liga, participating in the match against Atletico. The club boasts numerous dynamic players from the first team like Hector Fort, who consistently delivers excellent performances.
This approach encapsulates Barcelona’s distinctive philosophy of football—both in understanding and execution—which the club is committed to preserving. While the aim is to bring in seasoned players, identifying the right fit can be challenging. The club has meticulously evaluated various positions to identify youth team players ready to step up and strengthen the first team.
