‘Playing in his neighbourhood with friends’ - Mentality of Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal hailed by fellow La Masia graduate

Balde, who came through Barcelona’s famed academy before making a career across Europe, recently reflected on the club’s rising stars. Speaking to Diario SPORT, he singled out Yamal for his mentality and style of play. Despite his youth, Yamal has already broken records for both Barcelona and Spain, drawing comparisons to some of the game’s greatest players.

Talking about Yamal, Balde explained: “What I liked about Lamine is his brilliance, the lightness of his, if he’s playing in his neighbourhood with friends. He has that touch, that natural spontaneity, and I really admire that.”

He did, however, also single out four other Barcelona stars, adding: “No one captivates me like Pedri, whom I consider the best midfielder in the world. I also admire [Frenkie] de Jong, [Pau] Cubarsi's leadership, and the style of Cubarsi and [Alejandro] Balde, which reminds me of Jordi Alba.”

Yamal’s impact at such a young age has set him apart, with his maturity and decision-making earning plaudits worldwide. Barcelona see him as the cornerstone of their future, while he is also being tipped as a potential Ballon d’Or winner this week for leading the Catalan side to a domestic treble last season.

Yamal is currently out injured and is unlikely to be available for Hansi Flick's Barca side for another week, however, fans will able to lay their eyes on the 18-year-old at the Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday night.

Barca have three more La Liga games to attend to before the end of September, starting with a home game against Getafe on Sunday. They will then take in a trip to Real Oviedo before rounding off the month with a clash against Real Sociedad.