Jordi Cruyff explained how Barcelona managed to stave off a serious risk of losing teenage sensation Lamine Yamal — delaying his senior debut and building trust to secure his long-term commitment.
According to a report from Goal, Barcelona faced a major threat that Lamine Yamal could be poached by a domestic rival before he even made his senior breakthrough.
Jordi Cruyff, who held a sporting director role at Camp Nou, revealed that Barca deliberately delayed his first-team debut until they felt “we were covered.”
He stressed: “There was a risk that Lamine would leave Barca … He is exceptional. To take care of him, there is already the club.”
Cruyff credited the trust built between Yamal, his family, and Barcelona’s La Masia system as fundamental to securing his future.
The report notes that Yamal made his senior debut at just 15 years old, and by the summer of 2025, after turning 18, he had committed his long-term future to the club with a lucrative new contract.
Barça’s careful management highlights how they weighed the danger of losing a generational talent against the need to protect his development.
Cruyff underlined that Barcelona moved early to “ensure that they will be the ones to benefit from [his] current ability and future growth.”