- Former Barcelona manager Xavi played a key role in preventing Yamal's move to PSG, promising him a debut if he stayed
- Barcelona rejected an alleged €250 million offer from PSG, choosing to secure Yamal as a central part of their future plans
- Barcelona President Joan Laporta confirmed that PSG's tempting offer was declined, with Yamal’s release clause now set at €1 billion
In the fiercely competitive world of football transfers, where young talent can be swept up by the highest bidder, FC Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal managed to slip through the cracks of a PSG mega-offer thanks to the timely intervention of Xavi Hernandez.
Now a rising star at FC Barcelona and the current holder of the Kopa Trophy, Yamal's story is one of loyalty, ambition, and the protective instincts of a manager determined to retain Barcelona’s brightest talent.
PSG’s interest in Lamine Yamal wasn’t a recent development; in fact, it began when Yamal was just 15. At the time, he was already making waves as a future talent from Barcelona's revered academy, La Masia. As the French club actively sought to add him to their ranks, his agent, Ivan de la Peña, received an enticing offer from PSG.
The stakes were high; if Yamal were to leave, he could have done so on a free transfer by age 16, a concerning prospect for Barcelona as they stood to lose an emerging star with boundless potential.
Recognising Yamal’s dreams and talent, then-Barça manager Xavi stepped in with a heartfelt commitment to Yamal’s future at the club. In a bid to sway the young forward away from the lure of Paris, Xavi personally promised Yamal that he would debut for Barcelona’s first team if he stayed loyal to the Blaugrana. In exchange, Yamal needed to commit to renewing his contract with Barcelona to ensure he would continue his journey with the club.
Xavi kept his word, and on April 29, 2023, at just 15 years and nine months old, Yamal made his debut against Real Betis at the iconic Camp Nou, this was not just a personal milestone but the beginning of his loyalty to Barcelona’s project. Shortly after turning 16, Yamal inked his first professional contract on October 2, 2023, and thereafter Yamal’s rise continued to capture global attention.
In the 2024-25 season alone, he racked up six goals and seven assists in just 14 appearances. His performances caught the eye of PSG again, leading to an alleged €250 million offer from the French giants to secure his transfer.
Joan Laporta, Barcelona’s president, confirmed that PSG’s offer was declined although PSG refuted claims that they ever made such a bid.
Barcelona made their stance clear by installing a €1 billion release clause in Yamal’s contract, a record-breaking amount that not only secured him at the club until 2026 but sent a message that he was untouchable.
With loyalty embedded deeply in his young career, Yamal chose to stay with Barcelona, keeping his dream alive and his career developing but now under the mentorship of Hansi Flick.
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