Revealed: Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal REJECTED Premier League giants this summer
Cameron Smith
- 15 Sept 2023 11:46 BST
- 4 min read
Manchester City tried to sign Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal during the summer transfer window, but the Spaniard turned down a move to the Etihad Stadium, according to reports.
Yamal has ousted Brazil international Raphinha in the Barcelona starting XI this season, but he could have been plying his trade for Pep Guardiola’s men instead.
Barcelona signed Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer from Man City this summer, while Guardiola’s side also loaned Joao Cancelo to Camp Nou too. In addition, Ferran Torres made the move from City to Barca in 2022.
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However, relations between the two clubs have taken a hit due to Man City’s pursuit of Yamal. Rumours throughout the summer suggested that the two clubs had worsened, perhaps following Bernardo Silva’s failed transfer to the Blaugrana, and it’s now been revealed that Yamal is the cause of that.
According to RadioMarca, City tried to sign Yamal this summer, but the youngster rejected the move. The 16-year-old has not yet signed his first professional deal at Barcelona, but the club have reportedly insisted that an agreement is close.
Furthermore, earlier this week Barca board member Enric Mas told Marca: “Lamine Yamal and [Alejandro] Balde were in serious danger of leaving this summer because there is a club that tried to poach them.”
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It has now been reported that Man City were the club who tried to sign Yamal; it’s not yet known whether the reigning treble winners also attempted to sign Balde too.
However, despite City’s best efforts, they were not able to convince Yamal to leave his boyhood club.
Instead, Guardiola signed Jeremy Doku to bolster his forward line, while Josko Gvardiol, Matheus Nunes and Mateo Kovacic also arrived.
Lamine Yamal: The record-breaker
Yamal, 16, broke three major records for Spain during a historic international break for the Barca star.
He became his nation’s youngest ever player, goal-scorer and starter, thanks to his goal off the bench in their 7-0 demolition of Georgia and his inclusion in the starting XI against Cyprus.
Yamal is also the youngest player to win La Liga and he is the youngest player to ever feature for Barcelona’s first-team.
