Mendes asks Barca to provide economic assistance to Lamine

Lamin Yamal is on track to break every sporting record that stands before him. His precocity is unprecedented and his achievements make us think that we are dealing with a footballer who will mark an era.The recent achievement of Euro 2024 was the culmination of a very special season: an absolute explosion at Barça and a first major title with the national team.

With Lamine, everything happens very quickly. Which means that the Barça striker is also progressing at a rapid pace. At 17 years old, his physical and athletic evolution last season was brutal.

Lamin Jamal has become the best ambassador of the Barça brand. His image is growing, and we only need to check the reaction of the fans on the first day when the 2024-25 season shirts went on sale to see that the striker who grew up in La Masia is the great idol of Barça’s arrival. And that also has its price.

For several weeks now, Lamine’s representative Jorge Mendes has been warning Barça that it would be fair and necessary to review the player’s contract. The player signed his first professional commitment when he turned 16, adapting to rules that only allow for a three-season deal.

Aware of the player’s potential, Barça had already set a fee significantly higher than usual for a “first professional contract”. It also took advantage of the situation to set a release clause of €1 billion to discourage any club from trying to tempt the player. A few months later, it became clear that Lamine Jamal combines excellent play with records far from those of the highest paid players in the current Barça squad.

Commitment to the future

Lamine’s first professional contract was accompanied by a private agreement that already laid the foundation for a second commitment, valid until 2030, which will see the player’s remuneration increase significantly. A declaration of good intentions that the evolution of the international forward destroyed in just a few months.

Mendes wants to speed up all kinds of deadlines so that Lamine adapts productivity and economic income. Laporta already knows this and would promise economic efforts capable of satisfying all parties. With no timetable for negotiations set, it is clear the club will not wait for a private agreement, due to come into force when he turns 18, to update the young star’s file.

The Messi Precedent

The oft-repeated comparison between Lamine Yamal and Messi may clarify some concepts here. The Argentine star, at 22, could already boast something quite unusual: Barca had extended and improved his contract no less than five times. With Messi as an example, it is no surprise that Jorge Mendes is keen to make Lamin Yamal a star for all purposes: sporting and economic.

The relationship between Barça and Jorge Mendes is currently excellent. The all-powerful Portuguese agent also controls the fates of other Barça players, and the club has had no problems getting through the stages.