Nike, Puma, Adidas, New Balance fighting to sponsor Barcelona La Masia gem – report

Barcelona’s financial problems are very well-documented at this point. The lack of any economic depth has meant that the Catalans have not been able to sign players during transfer windows, leaving the squad with multiple cracks.

Fortunately for them, though, La Masia has been available to save them from the trenches, producing incredibly talented players in multiple positions.

This season alone, injuries in midfield meant Xavi had to rely on a certain Fermin Lopez, who has made a mark in the team and cemented an important role. Elsewhere, Alejandro Balde had his breakout season last year, and seamlessly replaced Jordi Alba at left-back.

Hailed higher than everyone else, though, is a certain Lamine Yamal. Still 16, the Spaniard only made his way into the Barcelona senior team this season because of Ousmane Dembele’s departure to PSG.

He has now participated in every single league game this season, and is among the best dribblers in Europe, as per CIES.

Touted to be the next big thing in the sport, Yamal is a topic of discussion for the biggest sporting brands in the world, who want to sponsor him.

As per a report from SPORT, Yamal ended his partnership with Nike this season. Now, Nike themselves, along with Puma, Adidas, and New Balance are in a battle to get the signature of the 16-year-old.

All these multi-national companies believe that Yamal will be one of the biggest influencers in the sporting world across the next decade, and want him to sign him as a brand ambassador early on.

Despite the rise of Puma over the last few years, Nike remains as arguably the biggest football brand on the planet. They have secured the contracts of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe — two of the biggest players in the world right now.

Not to mention, Nike sponsors Barcelona, too, and will continue to do so until 2028.

Meanwhile, Yamal could choose to replicate Leo Messi’s deal with Adidas, which is still continuing.

Either way, with age on his side, the youngster has plenty of time to decide his future.