Joan Laporta has secured Lamine Yamal. FC Barcelona has reached an agreement with the footballer to renew his contract until 2030.
"You will be the Messi of the future"
Despite the astronomical offers received, some from Arabia of more than 300 million euros, Laporta has said no. He has convinced the jewel of the youth academy that his place is in the club that saw him born.
Laporta has been clear: "You will be the Messi of the future". And Lamine has understood it. The president has promised him a long-term plan, and he will be the flagship of the new Barça and the great reference of world soccer.
The message has resonated: here he is loved, valued, and has the perfect environment to grow.
Lamine Yamal, well advised by Jorge Mendes, has found it very easy to be convinced. He knows that nowhere else will he be like at Barça.
A rising star contract
The new contract will be progressive: Lamine Yamal will start earning 20 million gross annually and will end with 70 in 2030, when he turns 22 years old. It won't be his big contract, but it will be the one that consolidates him. Laporta has promised him that the next one will be the definitive one, already as a club legend.
The renewal is not only sporting, it is strategic. Laporta has had opportunities on the table to sell Lamine Yamal for figures that would have solved Barça's economy in one fell swoop, but he has preferred to think long-term. He believes that Lamine is more than a footballer: he is a symbol, identity, and future.
Arabia wanted him, Laporta protected him
The figures are staggering. Saudi Arabia offered 300 million euros for Lamine Yamal, with the promise of making him the new Vinícius of their league. Laporta didn't even think about it: "Lamine is untouchable."
There was also an even crazier proposal: two billion for 10 years. But Barça is clear that their new project involves keeping their great jewel.
With this renewal, Barça sends a message to the world: their future already has a name and surname. And it is not for sale.