Barcelona see teenage phenom as a ‘blessing’ amidst financial crisis

As Spain prepares for the Euro final against England tomorrow, the limelight ironically is on the youngest player in the team.

At only 17 years of age, Lamine Yamal has quite simply been the best player on the field for La Roja. All eyes are on the youngster ahead of tomorrow’s final.

His success, however, is not surprising to Barcelona fans who have been following his progress for close to a year now.

After all, the administration sees Yamal as the centrepiece of their future plans, given his incredibly high potential.

The prodigy turns 17

Yamal turns 17 today, a day before the European Championship final, and it is staggering to consider the list of achievements the youngster has completed over the past year.

His final game as a 16-year-old saw him score a golazo for Spain against France in the semifinal of the ongoing event. He will thus return to Barcelona as one of the most celebrated players in world football and the club is understandably ecstatic.

As revealed by SPORT, the Catalans see Yamal as a blessing for the team at a time when Real Madrid continue to fortify their squad with big-name signings.

After all, the Blaugrana are neck-deep in financial crisis.

Real Madrid, last season’s Champions League winners, have added Kylian Mbappe to their ranks ahead of next season, but Yamal being crowned the man-of-the-match in a game that included the French phenom could well be a significant indicator.

Barcelona’s online wishes

Reminder. Lamine Yamal is 17.#LaLigaHighlights pic.twitter.com/N1SmMrB1UQ

On the eve of Yamal’s 17th birthday, Barcelona emphasized on social media that the youngster’s performance on the biggest stage was extraordinary for his age.

“Reminder, Yamal is 17,” the club tweeted after wishing him a happy birthday and also sharing a clip of the youngster’s best moments yet in the Catalan colours.

Having made it to the final of Euro 2024, Yamal will not link up with Hansi Flick’s side until the end of the month. He is, however, expected to join training for Barcelona’s pre-season tour in the United States.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​