Lamine Yamal contract confusion as Barcelona chief Deco denies agent Jorge Mendes' claim that new deal was discussed during Lisbon dinner before Champions League win over Benfica

Yamal's future at Barcelona has been a hot topic in recent weeks, with his agent Mendes revealing on Tuesday that he held talks with the club's hierarchy over the youngster's long-term future. Barca's sporting director Deco, however, refuted those claims and added that Yamal's contract situation wasn't one of the items discussed during their meeting in Lisbon earlier this week.

Yamal signed his first professional contract with Barcelona in 2023, aged just 16. The contract could be signed only until 2026, given that he was under the age of 18. While Deco's claims could leave fans worried, the Catalans will, in all likelihood, tie the Spain international down to a new long-term contract during or before the summer.

“Yesterday at dinner we didn’t talk about Lamine’s renewal," Deco confirmed at the Estadio da Luz on Wednesday (h/t Football Espana). "We are not going to talk about a renewal of Lamine with 20 people at the table. We will talk when it is time. He doesn’t have a better place to be. He enjoys himself and is happy and content.”

Yamal has already reiterated his desire to mark an era at Camp Nou, which means that a departure from the Blaugrana seems improbable, at least for now. After featuring for 55 minutes against Benfica in the Champions League round of 16 first-leg clash on Wednesday, the 17-year-old will be eager to make his mark when Barca face Osasuna on Saturday.