While continuing with his Barcelona presidential campaign, Joan Laporta has once again shaken the world of football with one of his statements. Recently, he revealed that Lamine Yamal could have left FC Barcelona, but the club rejected a historic transfer offer that could have changed everything for the player, who at the time was just 17 years old.
Joan Laporta’s revelation
He confirmed this during the presentation of his book “Así hemos salvado al Barça” (“This is How We Saved Barça”), stating that two years ago, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) offered just over $290 million – approximately 250 million – to complete the signing of the young Blaugrana winger.
The PSG transfer bid was rejected even though the club was going through a complicated financial situation in LaLiga.
During the summer of 2024, after Kylian Mbappé’s transfer to Real Madrid, the reigning Champions League winners identified Lamine Yamal as their main Mbappé replacement and priority signing.
“He was 17 years old and we didn’t sell him. Some people thought we were crazy!”
So far, it has proven to be a wise decision. Now, at 18 years old, Lamine Yamal has established himself as one of the best young footballers in the world and is a full starter at Barcelona, becoming a key figure in both LaLiga and European competitions.
Joan Laporta’s bet was surely questioned at the time, but today it stands as a complete success – a strategic move that could return FC Barcelona to the very top of European football in the near future.
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