Betting on the future generation in the present is a risk that FC Barcelona has been synonymous with since many years, and it appears the Catalan giants have no intentions of stopping any time soon given as they continue to rely on youngsters in times of need.
The likes of Golden Boy award winners Pedri and Gavi, explosive prodigies such as Ansu Fati and Ez Abde, and even dynamic fullbacks such as Alejandro Balde, have all been trusted by the coaches of FC Barcelona to be the faces of La Blaugrana as they head forward towards their own revolution of sorts.
Yet, the name that has seemed to capture most eyes with an anomaly very rarely seen in football is that of 16-year-old La Masia winger Lamine Yamal. The teenager has been an absolute sensation in both the Barcelona academy as well as from his displays with the Barcelona first team in the few appearances that he has been awarded.
However, attention like this is often met by the interests of those wishing to take such gems away from the grip of FC Barcelona. One such interested party, according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, was English Premier League outfit Manchester City.
According to MD, the Citizens were interested in signing Lamine Yamal by first luring a possible transfer towards La Liga outfit Girona FC and then taking him over to the Premier League from there onwards.
This was a possible route to take because both Manchester City and Girona FC come under the ownership of the holding company City Football Group (CFG), and the English champions would have been looking to take advantage of that connection.
However, the English club would end up being unsuccessful given the rise to stardom that Lamine Yamal had already begun to taste at FC Barcelona and how his commitment to the Catalans had become absolute for both present and future, as assured by his agent Jorge Mendes.
As it stands, the player has already renewed with the Catalan giants as per reliable Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, and is slated to now remain a Barcelona player until 2026 with only the official announcement yet to be made.
