Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, has revealed that the club turned down a significant €250 million offer for one of its key players, Lamine Yamal.
In an interview with Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Laporta emphasized the club’s commitment to keeping its talent despite facing financial difficulties.
“Despite the financial crisis that the Catalan club is enduring, we held on to the talented player, Lamine Yamal,” Laporta stated.
He also highlighted the club’s financial strategy, “We have reduced wages by about €170 million, and we are buying responsibly. We possess what others do not – the La Masia academy.”
Laporta clarified that recent sales were not just for financial equilibrium but also based on sporting reasons, citing the transfers of Ousmane Dembele and Marc Guiu.
“Some believe that our sales were to balance the books, but this isn’t true. The sales were for sporting reasons,” he explained.
The president strongly expressed the unique appeal of Barcelona, “There’s no place like Barcelona, and they’ll come to know it. We want to retain those who wish to play here. We received a huge offer for Lamine Yamal, which I rejected.”
He continued, “We did not want to sell a key player because we see the importance of maintaining the team, and I believe we did not make a mistake in this.”
Laporta praised the current management under coach Hansi Flick, noting significant contributions from players like Dani Olmo and improved performances from Raphinha and Xavi, despite Ilkay Gundogan’s departure.
This statement from Laporta underscores Barcelona’s strategy to balance financial sustainability with competitive success, leveraging its esteemed youth academy and selective market activity.
