‘Wow!’ – Pep Guardiola reacts to Lamine Yamal’s Ballon d’Or candidacy | OneFootball

Although he has been showcasing his talents with the FC Barcelona first team for around two years now, the last few months have truly established Lamine Yamal as a global superstar.

The young forward displayed his exceptional talents at the highest of stages in the UEFA Champions League and La Liga this season, and has been collecting praise from all around the world.

Pep Guardiola on whether Yamal can follow Messi’s path

The latest person to speak highly of the Blaugrana winger was the former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, who addressed several aspects of Yamal’s potential and career.

As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the Manchester City head coach expressed his belief that the Spaniard has the ability to convert from a winger to a goal-scoring striker, like Lionel Messi:

“I think he can do it, but on the wing, he’s a real game-changer. He needs to follow his own path, and we’ll see if he can be compared to the greatest.”

Commenting on Yamal’s Ballon d’Or candidature, Pep Guardiola said:

“Dembélé has won everything. The fact that he could be nominated at just 17 years old makes you go ‘wow!’ — but we’ll see.”

Lamine Yamal’s new contract

(Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The Catalan coach also believed that the winger deserves the high wages he has been given in his new contract:

“He’ll be able to buy a nice house. If they’re paying him, it’s because he generates it. I’m sure he’s surrounded by the right people. Messi was a competitive beast, too. If the clubs are paying, it’s because they deserve it.”

The former Barcelona coach also joked about Manchester City’s lack of transfer interest in Yamal:

Overall, Pep Guardiola was convinced that Yamal was already at the best possible place for him:

“I don’t know, he’s very good — against Inter, they gave him the ball to make the difference. I’m surprised that at 17, he’s doing these things. The best place he can be is at Barça. As a Barça fan, I’m happy with the year they’ve had and that he can be at the club for many years.”

It is definitely nice to see one of the best coaches in football speak so highly of Lamine Yamal. But there is no doubt that the youngster deserves this praise with the performances he has put on display last season.