In a bold move amid mounting financial pressures, Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, announced that the club will not be selling their promising young talents, despite receiving offers as high as 200 million euros ($217.3 million) for standout player Lamine Yamal.
Barcelona, one of La Liga's most illustrious clubs, has been grappling with deep financial challenges. To comply with the financial sustainability regulations set by the Spanish top league and UEFA, the club faces the daunting task of reducing its massive debt of one billion euros ($1.09 billion) this summer.
While many clubs in similar straits might opt to offload their star players to balance the books, Laporta has chosen a different path. Selling key academy graduates often counts as pure profit under football's financial rules, providing a temporary financial boost. However, Barcelona is committed to nurturing its homegrown talent.
\"We're receiving crazy bids for players like Lamine Yamal around 200 million euros and we're rejecting, of course,\" Laporta stated to Mundo Deportivo. \"We trust Lamine and we don't need to sell. We received bids for Balde, Fermin, Pedri, De Jong, Araujo, Gavi… we don't want to sell our stars.\"
At just 16 years old, Yamal has emerged as one of Spain's brightest football prospects. He made headlines by becoming the youngest player and goalscorer for the national team, netting against Georgia in the 2024 UEFA European Championship qualifying match on September 8, 2023. This season alone, Yamal has scored six goals and provided seven assists in 39 appearances for Barcelona.
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Barca president: We won't sell Yamal or make big-name signings
cgtn.com
