FC Barcelona Rejects Offer For La Masia Pearl, Reports Mundo Deportivo
FC Barcelona recently rejected an offer for one of its La Masia pearls as reported by Mundo Deportivo, which cited anonymous sources.
During the first episode of his podcast published at the weekend, president Joan Laporta confirmed a report from MARCA about receiving a mouthwatering offer for Lamine Yamal from Champions League quarterfinals foes Paris Saint-Germain worth $216 million (€200 million).
At the same time revealing the Catalans canceled their contract with kit sponsor NikeNKE, Laporta also said that his club had knocked back the potentially record-breaking proposal for a teenager in Lamine despite well-documented financial problems.
“We have offers for players like Lamine Yamal worth €200 million, and we have said no,” Laporta stated.
“Because we trust in the boy, in his sporting projection, and we don’t have the need [to accept]. On the contrary. We are in a process of economic recovery and can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” the president insisted.
“We have offers for all our youngsters: Pedri, [Alejandro] Balde, Gavi, [Ronald] Araujo… But we don’t want to sell out our stars.”
While it cannot compete with the likes of Real Madrid, PSG and Manchester City for budding talents worth upwards of $50 million, or established stars that demand even higher fees, Barca seems to be betting on its in-house talent reared in La Masia or scouted elsewhere and masterfully bought on the cheap as was the case with Pedri and Araujo.
Lamine and Pau Cubarsi have been the main revelations in 2023/2024 under Xavi Hernandez, but another academy graduate in Hector Fort has also raised eyebrows through his exploits.
Fort has often been seen as a right back performing masterfully at left back, and in difficult, elite level games such as a 3-0 bulldozing of Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano before the international break.
Like Cubarsi, 17-year-old Fort is currently secure in a contract which expires on June 30, 2025 and comes with a paltry $10.8 million (€10 million) release clause.
Perhaps believing the player would initially refuse to depart his boyhood outfit if it triggered said clause, but that Barca might be tempted to try and change Fort’s mind with such sums on the table, a rival club recently made a $37.9 million (€35 million) bid for the defender according to Mundo Deportivo.
Intending to renew the player before he turns 18 on August 2, however, Barca rejected the offer.
As Laporta said to Mundo Deportivo, Barca is counting on its young guns “for everything” moving forward, and doesn’t plan to cash in on them anytime soon unless the star in question genuinely wishes to continue his career elsewhere.
