Lamine Yamal has been the revelation of the season so far for FC Barcelona. After bursting onto the scene with a dominating win over Tottenham Hotspurs in the Joan Gamper trophy, the young Spanish winger has started the last three games for Barca in La Liga.
There were some concerns when Ousmane Dembele decided to move to PSG, but the emergence of Yamal has eased the nerves at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.
With Yamal meeting up with the Spanish side for their European Championship qualifying games against Georgia and Cyprus it’s easy to forget that he’s just 16 years of age.
The young winger already became the youngest player to appear in a game for FC Barcelona, with Xavi using him last year against Real Betis at just 15 years, 9 months, and 16 days old.
Now the Catalonia-born Yamal can break more records. If he appears in either game over the international break, he’ll become the youngest player to appear for Spain as well.
Is Lamine Yamal’s progress causing tension within the FC Barcelona locker room?
According to Catalan-based outlet El Nacional, his progress has caused some tension in the locker room, mainly with one player who is upset about a lack of playing time.
Based on the report, Brazilian winger Raphinha is “upset” about being usurped on the right wing, with Xavi electing to start Yamal in the 2-1 win against Osasuna, with Raphinha only introduced in the dying moments of the game in place of Robert Lewandowski.
Ironically, it was Raphinha who provided the opportunity for Yamal to make a breakthrough in the starting XI.
The Brazilian was sent off on the opening day of the season for a petulant hit-out during an ill-tempered game against Getafe. The game was an awful advert for football, but the two-game suspension that followed for Raphinha opened the door for Yamal and he took the opportunity with two hands.
His ability on the ball, attacking threat and direct play has led to many opportunities and his shot that cannoned off the post against Villareal led to a tap-in for Lewandowksi.
His performances led Xavi to start Yamal over Raphinha against Osasuna, which seems to have led to the slight tension in the locker room. Barcelona are winning, and everyone will have a part to play before the season is through, so it’s important for all players to keep that in mind.