Youth development remains a crucial part of FC Barcelona and they continue to emphasise it. Many of the key players within this current Barcelona squad are youth players from either the academy or from the subsidiary.
However, this does not stop the club from looking into other academies and clubs across Europe to scout even more talented gems. For now, one of the most dominant youth names in European football is Lamine Yamal.
The 16-year-old winger is a product of La Masia and has accomplished significant things across Barça’s youth divisions. At the time of writing, he is now fundamental to both Xavi in the first team and even an asset to Luis de la Fuente in the Spanish National team.
French prodigy
Interestingly, it feels like a similar development to that of Lamine Yamal’s has been found in France. As highlighted by SPORT, Eli Junior Kroupi is a young winger currently exploding in the French Ligue 1. Moreover, the report suggests that Barcelona and Real Madrid are quite keen on him.
Dubbed the ‘French Lamine Yamal’ by SPORT, the player follows a similar projection. Last season, he made his debut with FC Lorient. This season, he has completely come into his own groove. Scoring thrice and assisting twice this season in eight appearances, young Eli is a true sensation in France right now.
Lorient want extension
His current contract runs with FC Lorient until 2026, and given the recent attention, his employers are worried. With European giants like Barcelona and Real Madrid looming large, Lorient hopes to extend his contract in order to ensure the player’s continuation with the French side.
At the moment, Transfermarkt values the player at €8 million. Despite the rather high valuation for a 17-year-old, it feels merited in this case.
In comparison to Lamine Yamal however, the numbers do seem stale in comparison. The 16-year-old Barcelona prodigy is already valued at €50 million, a number that is unprecedented for a player that young.
