Man Utd chase deal for Lamine Yamal regen: 'Similar style, similar profile'

Updated: 15 Sept 2026 17:49 BST | 4 min read

Tom Weber | Writer

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Manchester United and Barcelona are among the clubs battling to sign a wonderkid who has just been compared to Lamine Yamal by one of his coaches.

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Aged just 19, Yamal is already a Ballon d'Or runner-up and among the favourites to win this year's award. After winning LaLiga, the European Championship and the World Cup, the only thing left to conquer is the Champions League.

The teenager's development has been nothing short of remarkable. Like Lionel Messi, Yamal is a once-in-a-generation talent - or so it seems. According to his former Barca Atletic manager Rafa Marquez, there may be another Yamal out there.

Current ETV

Lamine Yamal

F, M (R)

Barcelona

Lamine Yamal

F, M (R)

Barcelona

ETV Range

€139.1M - €170M

The player in question is Tijuana wonderkid Gilberto Mora, whom Marquez is now coaching after replacing Javier Aguirre as the manager of the Mexican national team. He believes that the 17-year-old is a Yamal-level talent.

It is perhaps not difficult to see why. Mora has been a senior international since age 16. He started a Gold Cup final last year and made four appearances at this summer's World Cup. He has already racked up 61 first-team outings for Tijuana.

Marquez: Mora "a similar profile" to Yamal

Quizzed about the role of young players with El Tri going forward, Marquez insisted that the adage "if you're good enough, you're old enough" holds true, particularly when it comes to Mora, who has already shown that he can have an impact in his country's famous green.

"It happened to me with Lamine Yamal," Marquez explained "I brought him up [to Barca Atletic], and they took him away from me [to the first team] within a month. So obviously Gilberto is a similar style, a similar profile."

Indeed, Mora is regarded as perhaps the biggest talent in the Americas right now. Shortly before the World Cup, Tijuana handed him what they described as a "historic" contract to reward him for his incredible development over the past two years.

Obviously, due to reasons beyond his control, Mora hasn't been able to have the same high-level success as Yamal, but the talent is undeniable. The youngster turns 18 in October, meaning that he could conceivably move to Europe as early as January.

A transfer across the pond is a question of when, not if, and this is also recognised by Tijuana, who confirmed that there was an exit mechanism in his contract, permitting him to move to Europe in due course.

Mora has been linked with various European giants for years. In England, Arsenal, Chelsea and particularly Man Utd have been strongly associated with a move for the teenager, while Barcelona and Real Madrid are trying to lure him to Spain.

It is perhaps not far-fetched to suggest that LaLiga would suit the diminutive playmaker more than the Premier League. Regardless of where he ends up, Mora is increasingly showing that he is ready to move to Europe.

After missing much of the Clausura earlier this year due to injury, the 17-year-old is now fully fit and firing for Xolos. He has bagged four goals in six Apertura matches so far.