Lamine Yamal or Vinicius Jr? Sergio Aguero makes his pick as ex-Barcelona & Argentina striker likens superstar La Liga wingers to ‘Neymar & Lionel Messi’

Two talented forwards operate on opposing sides of the fierce Clasico divide in La Liga. Teenage wonderkid Yamal, who is now a European Championship winner with Spain, continues to catch the eye for Barcelona while Brazil international Vinicius Jr. earns Ballon d’Or recognition at Real Madrid.

They will be locking horns at Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, with ex-Barca and Argentina striker Aguero telling Stake.com when asked to make his choice between two wide men who are following in the footsteps of legends: “Well, if we talk about styles of play and talent, I think Lamine Yamal has more to offer than Vinicius. Obviously, Vinicius has played for more years and has won many titles in Madrid, so this means that Vinicius is one of the top three players in the world. But if we talk about his game, despite his age, I prefer Yamal.

“I think we can compare these two to that of Neymar and Messi, who even played together, it was complicated but Barcelona was able to do this. Now Barca has Yamal and Madrid Vinicius, as well as Kylian Mbappe, even though he is more of a centre-forward.”

Aguero added on the potential in Yamal’s game and how that can be fully unlocked: “He does things that only 26-year-olds can do, and for now we have to enjoy him, because we don’t know how far he will go, only time will tell. Everyone has different talents, but his is always about confronting and moving forward. He’s able to dribble past players with ease, but then again, he creates plays that others with his age would never dare to do. He has a different vision of the game, that most only gain when they are at least 20. I was like this myself when I started out as a teenager, there are things that simply come naturally to you.

“It will also depend on his coach, some coaches want them to develop offensively, and others will demand these types of players to defend more. Personally, I have seen Lamine defending close to his area, many players of his age and talent simply prefer to stay up on the field and wait to receive the ball. He’s a very complete player.”

Yamal – who has been rewriting the history books at 17 years of age - already has five goals to his name this season, having netted seven last term, while Vinicius Jr is expected to be presented with his first Golden Ball at a glitzy ceremony in Paris on Monday.