PSG ‘always’ interested in Lamine Yamal – Deco
Barcelona’s sporting director Deco said Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have “always” been interested in signing Lamine Yamal.
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PSG ‘always’ interested in Lamine Yamal
Barca’s top priority is to tie Yamal to a long-term contract once he turns 18 in July.
Club’s higher ranks confirmed that PSG were the club that bid €250 million for Yamal last summer.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Deco confirmed that Yamal’s contract extension “is on the right track.”
Yamal has played a key role in Barca’s domestic treble triumph, helping the team win LaLiga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Supercopa.
Deco denied that Yamal’s camp has demanded that the new contract makes him the club’s highest-paid player.
“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.”
Making move this summer
Meanwhile, Barcelona secured the extensions of head coach Hansi Flick and star forward Raphinha.
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 also revealed that Barca is monitoring Liverpool’s Luis Díaz and Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford.
“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.”
