Paris Saint-Germain have “always” been interested in signing Lamine Yamal, Barcelona’s sporting director Deco said on Thursday, adding that ahead of the summer window, the Catalan club are monitoring Liverpool’s Luis Díaz and Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford.
Barça’s top priority is to tie Yamal to a long-term contract once he turns 18 in July, with the Spanish teenage sensation’s current deal expiring in June 2026.
“We know the player’s value,” Deco said of Yamal to Catalan radio RAC 1. “He attracts interest from all over the world, from all clubs. We want him to stay and for us to enjoy Lamine for many more years.
“Offers [received]? No, because when you don’t want to listen … but PSG is always one club that is interested, Real Madrid isn’t because we don’t ask about their players either … For him, there’s no better environment or better club than Barça.”
Barça are looking at options in attack with Poland veteran forward Robert Lewandowski having one year left on his contract.
“We like Luis [Díaz], we like Rashford, and we like other players,” Deco said. “Out of respect, talking about players who are under contract with other clubs is complicated. When we go to the market, there are names we know that could improve the team.”
Díaz’s contract with Liverpool expires in June 2027 while Rashford, currently on loan at Aston Villa, is tied to United until June 2028.
The LaLiga champions understand the importance of continuity.
“If we can keep the core of the team together, that’s what we want,” Deco said. “I think we can do it.
“I think you can always improve the team, but you have to understand what kind of player you need. We’ve focused first on what we have at home and renewals.
“The renewals of Raphinha, [Frenkie] De Jong, and Eric [García] will come, for sure. That’s the priority. We’ll talk about improving the team if we can, but the key is stability. We don’t believe that players will ask to leave.”
Deco, meanwhile, confirmed that Yamal’s contract extension “is on the right track.”
Yamal has played a key role in the final months of the season as Barça completed a domestic treble, winning LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Supercopa.
With his market value continuing to grow, reports claim that Yamal’s camp has demanded that the new contract makes him the highest paid player at the club which Deco has denied.
“Lamine has not asked for anything because we don’t speak to players but to agents,” he said. “That’s not his priority. I think a player has to have a contract that is fair, that corresponds to his value and I think that’s what we’re going to do. You have to adapt Lamine’s contract to his reality. He has to be the most important player among the most important players we have. He surely has other things that the others don’t have.”
Deco highlighted just how special Yamal is.
“I see him as very mature for his age,” he said.
“I have a 17-year-old son like Lamine. We have to be happy and enjoy Lamine because it’s something rare.
“You have to wait years for a player to emerge with so much personality, self-confidence, and quality. We have to enjoy him and take care of him. He has to live his age.
“We’ve had some players of this level and I think the important thing is for Lamine to be happy.”
Yamal’s agent, Jorge Mendes, on Thursday said he was confident the contract renewal was imminent.
“Of course he will renew, there will be no issues,” Mendes said after having lunch with Yamal in Barcelona “Lamine is going to be the best player in the world and will win the Ballon d’Or.”
Also on Thursday, Barcelona forward Raphinha signed a new contract with the LaLiga champions until 2028.
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