In the Joan Gamper Trophy encounter on Tuesday night between Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur, a new star was born in the form of Lamine Yamal.
The 16-year-old La Masia wonderkid has already received praise for being a unique talent with enormous potential, of which there were hints during the previous season and earlier in the US preseason.
But Yamal’s ability to dramatically alter the game’s outcome against Tottenham in the final ten or so minutes after going on as a replacement was nothing short of remarkable.
Ferran Torres’ goal to tie the game was assisted by Yamal, who also contributed to the Blaugrana’s next two goals as they rallied from a 2-1 deficit to win 4-2.
Given that Yamal turned 16 last month, he became eligible to sign his first professional contract, which had sparked interest from several top clubs across Europe.
However, Barcelona have reached a pre-agreement with the 16-year-old whizkid over a contract extension, but a full confirmation and an official announcement of the same has not been completed yet.
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Now, SPORT is reporting that Barça hope to close Yamal’s renewal until 2026 at the earliest possible. The club also want to insert a mammoth €1bn release clause in the agreement.
As per the rules, the Blaugrana can offer only a three-year contract to Yamal who is still an underage player and despite what reports have said previously, the deal is yet to be fully finalised with the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes.
Given how the 16-year-old is performing and the fact that he could be set for a bigger role in the first team with Ousmane Dembele leaving, the La Liga champions will be aiming to get it done and dusted at the earliest possible.
