Yamal’s mature view to being held up alongside Messi is refreshing, but that doesn’t mean he’s more enlightened than other top prospects in his age bracket. Like any teenager, he’s still growing physically and mentally, and will have to avoid the pitfalls of fame to fulfil his immense potential.
“I think Lamine is at a high level but, at his age, he can and still has to improve,” Flick said last week. “It’s great to see him training day after day. But he has to move forward, improve, work hard. Champions don’t rest, and I think that’s good advice. If he wants to be a great champion, he can’t rest too much, he has to keep going and going.”
Flick’s strong words came after it was reported that Yamal had to go through “a tunnel of slaps” as punishment for reporting late to one of his team-talks. The Spain international won’t get any special treatment because of his new superstar status, which is exactly how it should be.
According to Marca, Barcelona are very aware of Yamal’s “excessive prominence”, with some senior figures worried he could be “overwhelmed” by all the outside noise. Flick is the perfect coach to make sure that doesn’t happen.
The no-nonsense German, who promoted Jamal Musiala to Bayern Munich’s first team at 17-years-old, promotes an honest dynamic in the dressing room and is not afraid to be tough on younger players. Flick will give prospects like Yamal freedom to express themselves, but demands a certain level of respect in return.
Yamal needs a mentor like that as he enters the next stage of his development. Flick won’t let him take his eye off the ball, which bodes well for Barcelona’s chances of building on their incredible start to the campaign.
-
Getty
‘I want to be a legend’
Flick won’t be able to shield Yamal from transfer speculation, though, particularly if his scintillating form continues. In the build-up to Barca’s latest La Liga outing, super-agent Andy Bara claimed that Yamal was the subject of a staggering €250 million (£211m/$277m) bid from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer window.
The Catalan giants are still struggling to reduce their over-inflated wage bill, even after letting go of first-team stars such as Ilkay Gundogan, Sergio Roberto, Marcos Alonso and teenage striker Marc Guiu. Yamal is considered an untouchable asset, but Barca famously lost Neymar to PSG in 2017, and distracting rumours will persist for as long as their financial problems continue.
Unlike Neymar, though, Yamal knows exactly what he wants. When informed that he is now valued at €120m (£101m/$134m) on Transfermarkt, the Barca talisman told Spanish TV channel Antena 3: “I don’t want them to give me these 120 million because I would have to leave Barca. I hope I never leave Barca, I want to be a legend.”
That will be music to the ears of culers across the country. Yamal is on course to do exactly that, having already broken several records in the iconic blue and garnet shirt. But Barca have to keep him happy.
There is finally light at the end of the tunnel in what has been a turbulent post-Messi era and Yamal is shaping up to be a suitable heir. But Joan Laporta and the rest of the Barca board must learn from past mistakes and put a definitive end to the off-field chaos that has engulfed the club for too long, or else uncertainty around their best players will continue to reign.
-
Getty Images Sport
What’s next?
Barcelona will open their 2024-25 Champions League with a trip to Monaco on Thursday as the competition’s new 36-team league phase gets under way. Clubs will take on eight different sides with four home games and four away games, with those who finish in the top eight guaranteed a place in the round of 16.
Flick’s men will be aiming to fill one of those slots, especially after being handed a favourable draw, but they can’t afford to be complacent with a home fixture against Bayern and a tricky-looking trip to last season’s finalists Borussia Dortmund on the horizon. Barcelona will need their “difference-maker” to step forward again to avoid being dragged into a nerve-shredding qualification battle.
Yamal played in all ten of Barca’s Champions League games last season, with his standout display coming in a 3-1 win over Napoli in the last-16, which left former Bayern and Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves in awe.
“He’s a super-confident kid. He’s really special,” Hargreaves said to TNT Sports. “He shouldn’t be playing at this level at 16. He shouldn’t even be in the squad, never mind starting. Joao Felix is on the bench – he’s a £100 million player. He’s on the bench because this kid has been absolutely electric.”
Just seven months on, Yamal is the first name on the Blaugrana’s teamsheet and a £100m player in his own right. Barca have to be considered La Liga favourites and real Champions League contenders based on his presence alone.
Yamal is the kind of player who only comes along once in a generation. He’s not the new Messi, but he is equally capable of carrying the hopes of one of football’s greatest clubs for the long term.
-