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Rabat – FC Barcelona is drawing closer to reaching a deal with Lamine Yamal, a 15-year-old Moroccan Equatorial Guinean football prodigy.
Converging reports suggest that the Barcelona leadership is keenly seeking to make Yamal sign a professional contract with the Spanish club this summer.
“In the background are Real Madrid, the team who both of his parents support keeping tabs on the situation,” Spanish football news outlet Football Espana reported, adding that the young football player is now on the verge of signing his first professional contract with FC Barcelona.
On Saturday, Yamal made history to become the youngest football player to debut in a La Liga (Spain’s top-tier football league) game with Barcelona against Real Betis.
Yamal, who plays for Barcelona’s Juvenil A or under-19 team, is also the fifth youngest to debut for any club in La Liga’s history.
“Dream come true. Happy to be able to debut in this shirt,” Yamal wrote on his Instagram after the Saturday match.
“Long live Barca,” he added as he expressed gratitude to his supporters.
During a Barcelona-Osasuna pre-match conference earlier today, Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez commented on the club’s interest in keeping Yamal.
“He wants to succeed here and he doesn’t think about anything else, that’s why I’m calm because he wants to be here,” Xavi said.
Despite his young age, Yamal has won plaudits in the elite footballing world, with fans and many observers describing him as the “little Messi.” Among Yamal’s admirers is Xavi himself, and the FC Barcelona head coach has described the prodigy as a mature and intelligent footballer.
“I told him to get involved, to try things, and he has done it. He is special,” Xavi told the press last week. “He has been able to score, assist, and he has self-confidence.”
Xavi went on to compare Yamal to Messi and Ansu Fati.
“Is he similar to Messi or Ansu Fati? Yes. He has that innate talent in three-quarters of the field that is very hard to find. He doesn’t play like a 15-year-old, he’s more mature,” the Barcelona head coach added.
During today’s pre-match conference, Xavi made similar remarks on Yamal, describing the young prodigy as an “intelligent “ football player.
“He is happy and positive. The idea is that he will be in our team dynamic and can participate because I see conditions for him to play in the first team.”
