Lamine Yamal gets Barça in big trouble, Joan Laporta already knows

Barça is going through a period of economic recovery that sparks hope among fans. Gradually, commercial revenue, sponsorships, and asset management have allowed the club to leave behind some of the financial suffocation that gripped it in previous seasons. Even so, caution remains a watchword in Joan Laporta's office, since the figures for sports spending are still under close scrutiny.

In this context, Lamine Yamal emerges as the key piece of the culé project. His meteoric rise and his ability to become a symbol of the project place him as one of the club's most valuable assets. From La Masia to the first team, his career has been closely watched and with very high expectations from the institutional environment.

The situation with Lamine Yamal is concerning

However, what initially seemed like a normal move for consolidation is now generating internal tension. The reason is his salary increase included in his contract renewal, which tests the limits of allowed spending. Lamine Yamal's new agreement increases wage spending and adds about 60 million euros ($64.8 million) more to the wage bill in just two years.

Yamal's contract includes a fixed salary that starts at 16 million euros ($17.3 million) gross in 2026, with gradual increases in subsequent years until reaching 26 million euros ($28.1 million) in 2031. This ascending model makes Lamine one of the highest-paid players in the squad over the coming years.

This substantial leap also carries risks. Even though Lamine won't initially earn what figures like Lewandowski or Frenkie de Jong receive, his clause and salary scale quickly bring him close to those levels. The board knows that a contract of this magnitude must be justified by consistent sports performance, and that a poor season would be very costly.

Joan Laporta's thoughts

Joan Laporta, aware of the pressure this contract brings, is already studying how to fit it into the club's budgets. Barça's wage bill has skyrocketed in recent years, and this improvement means a new blow to the club's accounts.

The culé president has found out and can't ignore it. Joan Laporta knows this move is highly impactful: it reaffirms the commitment to Lamine as a franchise player, but demands that his performance support the investment. The management of this improvement will have to be handled with restraint, to prevent this contract from becoming the apple of discord that rekindles past storms.

If Lamine Yamal delivers on the field and leads the team as expected, this episode will go down as a bold move. If not, his salary could become an excessive burden.