Xavi Hernandez’s time as coach of Barcelona ended on a difficult note, but he accomplished a lot during his nearly three years in charge. Among his notable successes—such as significant Clasico wins, Super Cup victories, and a solid league title—his most significant achievement may be his role in retaining Lamine Yamal at the club.
Before Yamal gained widespread recognition as one of the best young players globally, he drew interest from Paris Saint-Germain, as reported by the Catalan outlet Mundo Deportivo. Barcelona president Joan Laporta revealed that he rejected a €250 million (£210 million) offer for Yamal in the summer of 2024, with PSG being the interested party. Interestingly, PSG could have signed him for free when they first contacted him during the 2022/23 season.
Yamal had caught the attention of numerous clubs across Europe due to his impressive performance in Barcelona’s youth teams, scoring 357 goals in 244 official matches. When he turned 16 in July 2023, he could have left Barcelona as he was nearing the end of his contract. Xavi, a former Masia graduate himself, was encouraged to reach out to Yamal.
According to Mundo Deportivo, they reached an agreement in which Xavi promised Yamal a first-team debut in exchange for his commitment to the club. In April 2023, with just seven minutes left in a match against Real Betis and Barcelona leading 4-0, Xavi brought Yamal onto the field. At just 15 years and 291 days old, he became the youngest player in Barcelona’s history and nearly scored on his debut with a shot that required a good save from Rui Silva.
In October of that year, Yamal signed his first senior contract with Barcelona, committing to the club until June 2026, with a €1 billion (£840 million) release clause to deter further interest from PSG or other teams.
