"Everything is happening very quickly" - Ex-Barcelona forwards sends warning to Lamine Yamal

Barcelona legend Thierry Henry has issued a warning to the club on the management of Lamine Yamal, citing the situation of Bojan Krkic as an example. The 17-year-old forward is considered as one of the best players in the world, despite being in only his second season as a professional.

Lamine Yamal has earned rave reviews for his displays as a professional footballer, earning a starting berth for Barcelona aged just 16. He became a starter for Spain in the same year, helping his country win Euro 2024 last summer.

Thierry Henry spoke about the youngster during his analysis of the UEFA Champions League games on CBS Sports Studio on Wednesday night. The pundit pointed at former teammate Bojan Krkic as an example of how Barcelona got things wrong in the past, and a warning to Yamal. He said (via Barca Universal):

"You can see what can happen to you when you’re young and you don’t know how to deal with everything. Everything is happening very quickly. He [Bojan] got lost in terms of anxiety and not wanting to be seen too much. That is something that sometimes people do not understand and do not want to understand because they see you there, you are playing and they forget that he is a child who went from not being known to everyone thinking he is good. Which by the way, is good.

“I have already experienced this before and, by the way, I want to congratulate Bojan for the way he speaks in the documentary, above all it was difficult to deal with all the external pressure. Bojan refused to go to the Euros. He paid the price of becoming a star too quickly.”

Now an executive at Barcelona, Krkic shared his experience in a documentary after he failed to reach the heights expected of him. He starred for Spain in the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup before debuting for La Blaugrana. He was considered as the heir to Lionel Messi, but ended up leaving the club for just €1.8 million.

Much like Bojan and many before him, Lamine Yamal has been likened to Messi, but appears to be managing expectations very well, at present. The teenager has already contributed 11 goals and 16 assists in 36 games across competitions this season, becoming a central figure for the side.

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Barcelona hold ace in Lamine Yamal extension talks: Reports

Barcelona have all the aces at hand in their bid to extend the contract of star forward Lamine Yamal, as per Cadena SER. The Spanish giants are preparing for talks with the 17-year-old Spaniard to extend his stay at the club.

Yamal has just over 12 months on his youth contract, leading to fears of an exit in the coming months. The report has revealed that Barcelona included a clause that will see them trigger an automatic five-year deal for the youngster once he turns 18 in the summer.

Yamal and his agent Jorge Mendes will sit down with the club to discuss the terms of his new contract to match his status as one of the world's best players. Both parties are ultimately relaxed on the contract situation, as there is a mutual wish to continue the relationship.