Barcelona advancing in renewal talks for La Masia gem

Lamine Yamal is regarded as one of the most promising youngsters coming through Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth academy at the moment.

Just 15 years old, the young attacker is already making waves for his performances in the youth categories. Yamal is already playing at a higher age-group level and is part of Barça’s Juvenil A setup (U-19) despite his age.

Furthermore, the 15-year-old is constantly called up to first-team training as well, indicating the fondness that the senior coaching staff, including manager Xavi Hernandez, has for Yamal.

Now, according to Mundo Deportivo’s Fernando Polo, Barcelona are making progress in the renewal talks for Yamal.

The teenage prodigy will soon turn 16 years old at which point he will be eligible to sign his first professional contract. And, there are several top clubs across Europe keeping a close eye on the situation.

But, Barcelona are eager to tie down Yamal to a new long-term contract at the club and are in talks with his new agent, Jorge Mendes, over a renewal. And, the report states that the negotiations are advancing in the right direction.

An indicator of renewal talks progressing well is the fact that Yamal continues to be called up to first-team training on a regular basis.

The left-footed forward trained regularly with the senior squad in the lead-up to Monday night’s match against Girona. So much so that, there was a feeling that he might even be called up to the match squad for the Catalan derby.

While that did not happen, Yamal was once again under Xavi’s command on Tuesday as well.

Xavi has previously outlined that there is a plan in place for the 15-year-old’s development.

“We follow all the youth players and Lamine is a very talented player. We have a project for him, he has a tremendous natural talent and he is a very important asset and in the future, we can have a great footballer,” he had said after the World Cup break.

With renewal talks going well, it would not come as a surprise to see Yamal being called up to the senior setup full-time come next season.