Joan Laporta: 'Barcelona rejected £172m offer for Lamine Yamal'

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed that his club recently received an offer of €200m (£172m) for teenage forward Lamine Yamal.

The 16-year-old is widely regarded as the outstanding young player in world football, and he has been a regular for his Catalan club this season, featuring 39 times in all competitions, scoring six goals and registering seven assists in the process.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Paris Saint-Germain had lodged an offer of €200m (£172m) for Yamal, with the French club viewing him as the ideal replacement for Kylian Mbappe.

Laporta has revealed that the bid arrived at Camp Nou, although the Barcelona president stopped short of confirming that it had been submitted by the French champions.

"We are getting offers for players like Lamine Yamal, for €200m (£172m), and we have said no. Because, we trust the boy, in his sports projection, and we do not have the need, on the contrary [to sell him]," he told Barca One.

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The teenager signed a new contract with Barcelona last October, with his terms running until June 2026, and there is a release clause of €1bn (£860m) in the deal.

Yamal has broken a host of records during an outstanding start to his professional career, with the forward already a key player for his club despite the fact that he will not turn 17 until July.

The attacker is also Spain's youngest player and goalscorer, and he will almost certainly be in the La Roja squad for this summer's European Championship.

Yamal is currently away with the Spain squad on international duty, featuring as a second-half substitute in the team's 1-0 loss to Colombia in London on Friday night.

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The attacker has scored four goals and registered six assists in 28 La Liga appearances this season, while he has managed one assist in eight outings in the Champions League.

Yamal said last week that he was "really content and happy" at Barcelona amid the speculation surrounding his future, with PSG believed to be desperate to sign him.

"It's been a dream to be able to play for FC Barcelona in front of our fans," Yamal told the club's official website. "It's also a unique experience to share a dressing room with world-class players. I am really content and happy.

"Everything is all new to me. Nothing like this had ever happened to me. My only intention is to keep playing and enjoying being in the Barca shirt."

Yamal also said that he had ambitions of becoming Barcelona's captain within the next 10 years, with the forward committing his future to the Catalan giants.