Laporta says Barça turned down €250m PSG bid for Yamal | OneFootball

The former president of Barcelona, Joan Laporta, stated that the Catalan club turned down an offer of € 250 million (around R$ 1.5 billion at the current exchange rate) from Paris Saint-Germain for the signing of the Spanish prodigy Lamine Yamal when he was just 17 years old, according to reports from the Spanish press released this Monday (23).

The Proposal

“When PSG offered us € 250 million for Lamine Yamal and we rejected it, he was 17 years old. Some people thought we were crazy,” said Laporta during a public appearance to mark the launch of his book, which marks the start of his re-election campaign.

In November 2024, Enric Masip, Laporta's advisor, had already mentioned this offer from PSG to the Spanish press, before the French club denied it to the newspaper L’Équipe.

Laporta, 63, had been leading the Catalan club since 2021, after a first term between 2003 and 2010. But he resigned at the beginning of February to run for re-election on March 15. He is considered the favorite in these elections.

Lamine Yamal, 18, has been playing for Barça since the youth categories. He has a contract with the club until 2031.

Rivals?

PSG and Barça have built a unique rivalry in Europe since PSG's purchase by the Qatari fund QSI in 2011, including numerous confrontations, transfers, and tense relations.

Moreover, the Parisian club took away Barça's two biggest stars, Neymar in 2017 and Lionel Messi in 2021, forcing the Catalans to make exorbitant investments to try to compensate for the two departures.

Ousmane Dembélé also left the Spanish team, to PSG's delight, with whom he won the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or in 2025.

And in last month's winter transfer window, PSG once again signed a talent from Barça, this time the young Dro Fernández.

“The situation was unpleasant,” admitted Laporta at the time.

*Content produced by AFP

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