Lamine Yamal has agreed to a contract extension with La Blaugrana, according to Barcelona president Joan Laporta, and Frenkie de Jong is also in negotiations for a renewal.
After winning the La Liga title and defeating Espanyol 2-0 on Friday to formally remove Real Madrid from first-place contention, Hansi Flick’s team is currently in party mode.
As they host Villarreal on Sunday and travel to Athletic Bilbao the following weekend in the campaign’s final gameweek, La Blaugrana are now just finishing up the formalities of their top flight campaign.
The authorities at Camp Nou are trying to bind their valuable assets to new contracts as the focus shifts to a busy summer of spending, selling, and signing. The crown has already been concluded.
With 42 direct goal involvements in 53 games, 17 of which were his own, and 25 assists, Ballon d’Or contender Yamal has been among the first in line for new terms.
Two years after making his Barcelona debut at the age of 15 under Xavi, Yamal is still regarded as one of the world’s best players despite his youth.
However, as of right now, the Euro 2024 champion may become a free agent at the end of the upcoming campaign. Last year, there were rumors that Paris Saint-Germain made an incredible nine-figure bid for his services.
According to reports, Manchester City and Liverpool have also been keeping a close eye on Yamal’s circumstances, hoping that Barcelona’s precarious financial status will make the 2007-born talent available.
The only thing left to do is make the announcement, though, as Barca president Laporta has now confirmed that Yamal has signed a new contract. He told reporters: “Lamine Yamal’s contract renewal has already been agreed upon.” The official signing is now the only thing left to do.
Barcelona is making every effort to extend the terms of De Jong, whose long-term future has been the focus of intense speculation for a few years, in addition to tying Yamal down for a few more years.
In the summer of 2022, De Jong was relentlessly pursued by then-Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, and Barcelona even accepted an offer from the Red Devils, but he refused to leave.
Despite his early struggles for starts under Flick, De Jong was included in the starting lineup for every Barca match in the Champions League knockout stages, and Laporta has stated that negotiations are still underway to extend his contract past 2026.
“We are in the process of extending Frenkie de Jong’s contract. He’s definitely eager to stay, and we’re going to stop at nothing to make sure he stays,” the 62-year-old continued.
La Blaugrana are reportedly willing to consider offers for up to eight players during the summer transfer window, while Barcelona is trying to keep De Jong in Catalonia.