Lamine Yamal 'set for new Barcelona deal with £1bn release clause'

The 16-year-old has already broken a host of records since bursting onto the scene during Barca's triumphant 2022-23 season, where he made his first-team debut at the age of just 15 years, 9 months, and 16 days.

Yamal has continued to play a prominent role for the Spanish champions in the 2023-24 season, making nine appearances and setting up two goals in a 4-3 win over Villarreal on August 27.

The 2007-born starlet became the youngest player to register a La Liga assist in that seven-goal thriller, before also making his Champions League debut off the bench in a 5-0 thrashing of Royal Antwerp two weeks ago.

Only Borussia Dortmund's Youssoufa Moukoko has played in Europe's top competition at a younger age, and Lamal became both Spain's youngest player and goalscorer on his Roja debut in a 7-1 Euro 2024 qualifying success over Cyprus last month.

Yamal continued his rise to prominence against Sevilla on Friday night, as Sergio Ramos turned the teenager's cross into his own net in the second half to gift Xavi's men all three points.

The La Masia graduate is currently due to become a free agent at the end of the 2023-24 season, but Barca have been expected to agree fresh terms with their teenage sensation.

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Yamal will officially sign his new long-term contract until 2026 on Monday, having secretly agreed to extend his stay back in July.

Yamal's renewal is also believed to include a mammoth €1bn (£867m) release clause, becoming the 10th player to possess such an option alongside Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Pedri, Gavi, Ronald Araujo, Alejandro Balde and Noah Darvich.

Yamal will prolong his stay in Catalonia after reported interest from Manchester City over the summer, and an advisor to president Joan Laporta admitted that the 16-year-old was close to leaving the club.

The winger has already spent 10 years on the books with Barcelona, who inducted him into their La Masia academy in 2013, and he has four starts to his name in the 2023-24 La Liga season.

Yamal will be out to make his first Champions League start in Wednesday's Group H battle with Porto, where Raphinha will miss out owing to the hamstring injury he picked up against Sevilla.

The Brazilian attacker is reportedly facing between three and four weeks on the sidelines with the issue, while Pedri and Frenkie de Jong are also missing with muscular and ankle issues respectively.

However, Xavi has stressed the need to be cautious with Yamal's game time given his age, and Torres represents an alternative option to start on the right-hand side of the Blaugrana attack.