- 6 hours ago
Barca TURN DOWN €200m PSG bid for teen sensation Lamine Yamal
Paris Saint-Germain want Lamine Yamal to replace Kylian Mbappe at the Parc des Princes but Barcelona have REJECTED a €200 million approach for their teen sensation.
Yamal again rescued Barca in LaLiga on Friday night, scoring an incredible solo goal to down Mallorca for Xavi’s side and put them in second place in the table behind Real Madrid.
He has emerged as the Catalans’ most consistent attacking threat this season with three goals and two assists in his last eight league games.
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His performances in 2024 have overshadowed the contributions of wage-drainers like Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Joao Felix and Ferran Torres, who have all been unable to consistently lead the fight at the top of the table.
The 16-year-old signed a new contract back in October, which ties him to the club until 2026, with the club still optimistic of renewing him on a five-year deal when he turns 18.
However, that has not stopped the admiring glances coming from Paris.
PSG need a star to replace Mbappe
PSG are in need of a flagship name to lead their project having suffered the losses of Neymar and Lionel Messi over the past year and with Mbappe set to depart.
Club president Nasser al-Khelaifi is ready to repeat the trick which saw Neymar swap Camp Nou for Paris back in 2017 in a world record €222 million deal after the French capital club unlocked his release clause.
This move for Yamal would represent the second-most expensive transfer in history should Barcelona choose to accept it. However, Barca are ready to turn down the money according to Marca.
The club see Yamal as the shining light of the current generation of La Masia graduates, a crop which also includes first-team players like Pedri, Gavi, Alejandro Balde, Ronald Araujo, Fermin Lopez, Pau Cubarsi and Marc Guiu.
His sale would be hard to justify to an irate fan base, who see the youngster as the best homegrown prospect since Lionel Messi.
Barca president out of levers to pull
Complications arise however when Barca’s precarious financial situation is taken into consideration.
They are unlikely to be able to sign any players this summer with club president Joan Laporta now out of “levers” to pull.
Barca have seen their wage bill slashed over the last year and a quick sale of Yamal would wipe out a lot of their short-term issues.
Marca reports that super agent Jorge Mendes met with Laporta this week in Barcelona in order to inform him of PSG’s interest but the president remains unmoved.
There has been a shift in PSG’s transfer philosophy over the last couple of seasons with young, emerging stars being targeted instead of big-wage superstars like Messi, Neymar and Sergio Ramos.
Yamal, as one of the best young talents in world football, would fit the bill.
