Ex-Barcelona president Joan Laporta reveals PSG offered €250m for 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, but Barcelona turned down the massive bid

Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed that Paris Saint-Germain were willing to pay €250 million for teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.

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Speaking at the launch of his new book on Tuesday, Laporta said the decision to reject the offer surprised many in football circles.

Yamal, who caught the attention of top European clubs after his breakout 2023/2024 season, was just 17 at the time of the offer.

PSG were reportedly seeking a replacement for Kylian Mbappe, who had joined Real Madrid on a free transfer.

Laporta said: “When PSG offered us €250 million for Lamine Yamal, and we rejected it, he was 17 years old; some people thought we were crazy.”

Had Barcelona accepted the bid, it would have surpassed the €222 million world-record fee PSG paid for Neymar in 2017.

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The revelation underlines Barcelona’s faith in Yamal’s potential, as the club opted to retain the young midfielder despite an unprecedented offer from one of Europe’s richest clubs.