Barcelona looking to avoid Lionel Messi issue with Lamine Yamal as teenager is set to be made club's highest-paid player amid ongoing contract talks

According to AS, Yamal signed a Barcelona contract in 2023 until the summer of 2026 but also installed a second extension until 2030 that would automatically be activated next year. However, as the deal was not formalised, the 17-year-old could be out of contract in just over 12 months. The report adds that his agent Jorge Mendes is in talks with Barca over a contract extension, but no deal has yet been struck.

Both Barcelona and Yamal's representatives are said to be confident about the Spain international staying until at least 2030. But the Blaugrana are reportedly wary of creating a similar situation to the one that unfolded with Messi in 2021, when he left on a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain. The club's debt was above £1 billion, following years of overspending and the financial ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic, and that meant they could not afford to give the Argentine a new deal. Therefore, they don't want to be overstretched with Yamal's contract.

AS add that Barca are preparing a contract proposal that would make Yamal the highest-paid player at the club. Hansi Flick's side know they need to get out the cheque book to keep the teenager as he is one of the world's best already.

Yamal will now be focusing on securing his Barca side a victory away at Atletico Madrid on Sunday night in a battle between first and third in La Liga.