Lamine Yamal Barcelona contract warning as superagent fears Messi repeat

Barcelona have been warned that Lamine Yamal’s contract renewal is not a formality, with superagent Jorge Mendes fearing a situation whereby the Catalan club cannot fund a deal, similar to that of Lionel Messi.

Lamine is under contract with the Blaugrana until 2026 but as he turns 18 in the summer, he is in line to receive the first major professional deal of his career.

The teenage superstar, who has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €174 million, has demanded terms on parity with the club’s leading players and it is widely expected that he will sign a new five-year contract.

A note of caution has come into the discussions, according to Mundo Deportivo, which reports that the VIP seats accounting scandal has thrown some uncertainty into the agreement. Barcelona stand accused of inserting an additional €100m into their accounts that has yet to be properly signed off. The issue is expected to be resolved in May in time for the summer.

Lamine’s agent, Jorge Mendes, is not taking anything for granted, however. The report indicates there is some ‘caution’ being shown by the superagent.

As Mundo Deportivo reports: “The agent has experienced similar situations in the past, as occurred with the signings of Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo, who arrived on special terms with the promise of improved contracts that never materialised.

“Joao Felix, for example, agreed to receive around €800,000 on loan to fit into Barcelona’s salary pool for registration, hoping to be compensated once they exercised a purchase option.”

Messi all over again?

There are also some echoes to the Messi situation in the way Lamine Yamal’s contract has been handled.

Back in 2021, Barcelona president Joan Laporta repeatedly promised that there would be room to renew the contract of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, yet he ultimately fell short with this. As such, Messi left amid a flood of tears to PSG.

The Blaugrana are expected to clear this situation up, but it is telling that even the Catalan press are expressing some minor doubts about Lamine Yamal’s future.