Lamine Yamal gave a straightforward but firm “no” when asked if he could be lured to Real Madrid instead of signing a new contract at Barcelona.
Yamal’s current contract at Barca expires in 2026 which has led to suggestions he could be tempted to leave his boyhood club and sign elsewhere.
But it is believed the framework of a deal is already in place with Barca and it is likely to be signed when Yamal turns 18 years of age on July 13.
That hasn’t stopped the speculation, however, with Barca’s arch-rivals Madrid even mentioned as a potential destination.
Asked about a possible move to the Santiago Bernabeu, the Spain winger told El Mundo Deportivo: “Impossible. Madrid? No.”
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💥𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗬𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗹
❌ “¿Yo al Madrid? Imposible” pic.twitter.com/l5DRa188do— Mundo Deportivo (@mundodeportivo) February 19, 2025
Yamal – I owe everything to Barca
Barca president Joan Laporta has said many times the club has received several offers for Yamal but he remains key to the club’s long-term plans as they prepare to move back into the revamped Camp Nou.
The teenager said: “It’s the only club I’ve been to apart from La Torreta, which was the team where I started. But yes, I owe everything to Barça. In the end it’s where I grew up. I was in La Masía since I was 12 years old and from seven playing in Barça.
“I think no one doubts that I am a cule [Barca fan] and what I want for this club. Since I made my debut I have said it and I think it [the contract] will be resolved in the end. If both parties want something to happen, it will happen. But I think no one can doubt what I feel for this club.”
Teenager plays down comparisons to Lionel Messi
Yamal has had to put up with comparisons to Lionel Messi after bursting on to the scene at last summer’s European Championship, where he played a pivotal role in Spain clinching the title.
He said: “Luckily, I am not the first person this has happened to.
“I try to be me. Obviously Messi, and I always say it, is the best player in history and comparing you to him means that you are doing things right, but I try to be me. I try to make my way and give everything for this shirt.”
‘Demand more every day’
Yamal’s rise to prominence means his life is very different to the average 17-year-old boy.
Asked what drives him, he said: “Demand more every day. Everything helps me. Things are expected of me that are normally not expected from a 17-year-old boy and I demand it from myself. That’s what makes me go more every day and want more.”
Yamal played as Barca beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 on Monday night to go top of La Liga.
Next up for Hansi Flick’s side is a trip to Gran Canaria to face Las Palmas on Saturday night.