In July this year, the young Spanish player Yamal will turn 18 years old. For many young people, this may just be an ordinary birthday, but for this Barcelona’s rising star, this point in time means an important turning point – he is about to sign the first adult player contract in his life with the team.
In fact, there isn’t much suspense about whether or not Yamal will remain at Barcelona. From both the player’s and the club’s point of view, they are very keen to complete the contract extension. Yamal in the interview repeatedly said that he is willing to always play in Barcelona, and did not consider transferring to other teams. And Barcelona also made it clear that they will not accept any offer for Yamal. After all, like he is only 17 years old is already close to the world-class level of the player, almost can be said to be “priceless treasure”. Especially for a club like Barcelona, which is known for its talent, keeping such a player is almost a natural choice.
It was rumored that Barcelona had promised to pay Yamal the highest salary in the team. However, the contract does not start with a top salary, but rather a “year by year” approach. That is to say, the first two years of Yamal’s salary is relatively low, with the passage of time and performance stability, his income will gradually increase, until the late contract to reach the highest level. This type of signing is not uncommon in soccer, especially with young players. Although Yamal is not very old, he has already proved his ability on the pitch, so it is a reasonable arrangement for Barcelona to sign a new deal in this way.
However, a new situation has recently arisen. According to Spanish journalist Víctor Navarro reported that although Barcelona promised to let Yamal get the team’s highest salary, but the so-called “top salary” standard, in fact, with Yamal’s team originally expected there is still a gap.
The two highest paid players in the Barcelona team are Levan and De Jong. They have both signed progressive contracts and are now in the final stages of their contracts, so their annual salaries are also very high. Levan, for example, is already earning close to €40 million a year before tax, and De Jong over €30 million. If Barcelona were to directly allow Yamal to receive a similar level of salary, it could put very heavy financial pressure on the club.
Considering the fact that Barcelona has been trying to control the salary expenditure in recent years, they are obviously not willing to repeat the past practice of “high salary to support people”. Lionel Messi’s salary was too high, which ultimately led to the club’s financial constraints, and even affected the team’s overall operation. The current president Laporta obviously does not want to repeat the same mistake, so in dealing with the Yamal contract, he is also more cautious.
As a result, Barcelona preferred to give Yamal a top salary in line with the overall level of La Liga, which is roughly within 15 million euros. This figure is not as high as what Levan or De Jong are earning right now, but it’s a pretty high deal in the whole of La Liga.
However, Yamal’s side is not that easy to negotiate. His agent, Mendes, is one of the most famous agents in the world of soccer, having helped negotiate huge contracts for top stars like Crowe. Mendes will surely fight for the best conditions for Yamal as well, and will not easily accept a lower-than-expected offer.
As things stand, there may be some minor twists and turns in the contract extension talks between Yamal and Barcelona, but the overall direction will not change. Barcelona will definitely find a way to keep the young centerpiece and make sure that he becomes the mainstay of the team in the coming years. As for the exact salary, it will depend on who can convince whom.
Overall, this contract extension negotiation is more of a “bargain” between the club and the player, rather than a real conflict. Barcelona need to balance their finances, while Yamal and his team want to get what they deserve. As long as the two sides keep communicating, I believe we can eventually find a mutually acceptable program.
