Barcelona have reportedly turned down a €200m (£170m) offer from Paris Saint-Germain for Lamine Yamal.
The French champions are preparing to lose Kylian Mbappe this summer, with the forward widely expected to make the move to Real Madrid on a free transfer.
According to Marca, PSG have identified Yamal as Mbappe's replacement, with the Ligue 1 giants determined to sign the 16-year-old during this summer's transfer window.
The report claims that Luis Enrique's side placed a €200m (£170m) offer on the table, but Barcelona were quick to reject the bid despite their well-documented financial problems.
Yamal penned a new contract at Camp Nou last October, with his contract running until June 2026, and there is a release clause of €1bn (£850m) in the agreement.
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The forward has broken a host of records in the early stages of his career, notably becoming Barcelona's youngest starter in La Liga at the age of 16 years and 38 days in August 2023.
Towards the end of last year, he also became Spain's youngest player and goalscorer, and he is widely regarded as one of the best young talents in world football.
Yamal will not turn 17 until July, but he has been a vital player for the Catalan outfit this season, making 37 appearances in all competitions, scoring six goals and registering seven assists.
The attacker scored the winner against Mallorca in La Liga on Friday evening, which led to the away side's head coach Javier Aguirre comparing Yamal with Lionel Messi.
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However, Barcelona boss Xavi rejected the comparisons, claiming that "anyone will lose" when put in the same conversation as Messi.
"I think they should not be compared. Anyone will lose when compared to Messi. We're talking about the best player in the history of this sport, he should not be compared," the manager told reporters after the one-goal success over Mallorca.
"It does not benefit Lamine Yamal when you compare him to Messi. It's true that he has Leo-esque flashes, but it's not good for him. It's better to not compare them."
Yamal is currently with the Barcelona squad preparing for Tuesday's Champions League last-16 second leg against Napoli, with the two teams level at 1-1 from the first leg in Italy.
PSG are believed to be considering returning with a fresh offer for the Spaniard, but Barcelona are seemingly unprepared to part with their star talent under any circumstances.
Matt Law
