Lamine Yamal’s rise to stardom has been almost stratospheric over the last six months. The 16-year-old become Barcelona’s youngest ever player last season, and in the current campaign, he has established himself as a regular member of Xavi Hernandez’s first team squad.
He started the season as the holder of the right wing position, but over the last couple of months, he has played more of a squad role, as Xavi looks to manage his minutes effectively so as not to effect him long-term. Despite this, it’s not had as much of an effect as Barcelona would like.
Bar Canaletes have reported that Lamine Yamal has been losing importance in the first team, which has perhaps come about due to the level of scrutiny being placed on his shoulders at such a young age, which hasn’t allowed him to play as well as many people would like him too.
Barcelona are determined to protect Lamine Yamal at all costs, but the best way to do that could be to take him out of the firing line altogether. Playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world at 16 is bound to take its toll mentally, so a good idea could be to let him play for Barca Atletic for a sustained period of time.