Former Italian midfield icon places Lamine Yamal over Endrick as most impressive youngster

Football appears to be undergoing a transformative phase. With legends like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr, and Eden Hazard stepping out of the European frame, the path has been paved for a new generation of talent.

Barcelona, in particular, stands as one of the foremost contributors to this youth movement, with their academy La Masia churning out talents as regularly as a well-oiled machine produces gears.

The Catalan giants have benefited tremendously from the likes of Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, Fermin Lopez, and Hector Fort.

Marchisio heralds Lamine Yamal

A former Juventus icon who plied his trade in midfield, Claudio Marchisio, was asked by GOAL to rank three of football’s most prized prodigies: Lamine Yamal, Endrick, and Kenan Yildiz.

Marchisio placed the Juventus midfielder Yildiz in third place, acknowledging his experience and quality.

He admitted he had not seen much of Endrick, but awarded him second place because of Real Madrid’s investment in the youngster.

Yamal took the crown in the Italian’s list, as Marchisio proclaimed he earned the first position because of his tender age and the fact that he has stood out in a struggling Barcelona, who are a pale shadow of their glory days.

Record-breaking season

Yamal has constantly been breaking records since joining the first team.

This season alone, he became the youngest player to start in La Liga, the youngest to score and assist in La Liga, the youngest to start in the Champions League, and the youngest to score for Barcelona.

In fact, recently it was reported that with only experienced forward Robert Lewandowski ranked ahead, Yamal’s shirt was the second best-selling item in Barça’s official stores.

The impact the 16-year-old has on Barcelona is evident, and Marchisio stands corrected in giving him the numero uno spot.