After an incredible star-making campaign at the Euros, Barca's Golden Boy, Lamine Yamal, is back at the Blaugrana club. Amidst some interesting things at the Catalan club, including Thiago's joining Hansi Flick's staff and Barca's ongoing pursuit of Nico Williams, some recent reports have arisen about Yamal's near future.
According to the evening reports, it has been clear that Lamine Yamal will miss the US preseason tour in 2024/25. After being indulged in a long 23/24 campaign, FC Barcelona has decided to rest the 17-year-old sensational winger for their US Tour. Not only this, the player has also chosen a surprise jersey number for his next Barcelona campaign.
Lamine Yamal will be Barcelona's number 19 next season
Recent reports suggest that Lamine Yamal has chosen the number 19 jersey for next season. Just to remind you, this is the jersey number that Yamal has been wearing the whole Euro tournament for Spain. Thus, given his heroics for the national team, Barca has officially declared that Lamine Yamal will be their number 19 for the next season.
Yamal's aspiration for the number 19 has some extremely close links with the all-time Barcelona legend Leo Messi. Lamine Yamal, who has been a fanboy of Lionel Messi throughout his career, has chosen the jersey number 19 because, in his early days, Messi was the number 19 jersey holder before switching to his iconic number 10 jersey.
Moreover, reports are also suggesting that Lamine Yamal opted for Messi's number 19 and not number 10, as the current holder of that number is Ansu Fati. Though Yamal was asked if he would prefer that shirt, the Catalan youngster chose not to pick the number 10 out of respect for his senior teammate, Ansu Fati.
Though time has taken a toll on Ansu Fati, who was once predicted to be the next Messi, the preseason tour would be a great opportunity for him to establish himself in the squad again. As the winger has been one of the greatest positives in the training sessions, Hansi Flick would hope he continues that in his performance and returns to the Barcelona lineup again.