Xavi Hernandez saved Barcelona from losing Lamine Yamal to one of the European giants, according to the newspaper “Mundo Deportivo”.
Yamal has become Barcelona’s number one star in the last two years, and everyone predicts that he will be Lionel Messi’s successor in the next few years.
According to the report, Barça was on the verge of losing Yamal’s services two years ago when he was 15 years old, had it not been for Xavi’s intervention.
At that time, the star of Moroccan origin received an exciting offer from Paris Saint-Germain that would guarantee him joining the first team soon, with a very large financial reward.
Yamal began to think about taking this step in the manner of Xavi Simons previously, but a conversation took place between coach Xavi, the player and his family, which ended the matter.
Xavi confirmed to Yamal his appreciation for his talent, and stressed that he will participate with the first team very soon and that he will lay the foundation stone in his career with the Catalan club.
Indeed, Xavi lived up to his promise, as a few months later he promoted him to the first team and gave him the chance to play in La Liga, making him the youngest player in Barcelona’s history. Last season, he became a mainstay and secured his place at Euro 2024 with Spain.
The 17-year-old Yamal won the 2024 Raymond Kopa Award for the best young player in the world, and also finished eighth in the final rankings for the Golden Ball, making him the youngest player ever to hold that position.
It is worth noting that Barcelona president Joan Laporta said that his club received an offer of 250 million euros to sell Yamal last year, and the media revealed at the time that it was the second attempt by Paris Saint-Germain to sign the player, but it also failed.
