The 'stick' that Lamine Yamal received: "He does well, but he is missing something..."

Is there anyone who isn't captivated by the innate talent that Lamine Yamal is displaying at just 17 years old with FC Barcelona and Spain? Everything seems to point that way, as recently the player from Mataró received a harsh criticism for an alleged lack in his performance level: the lack of goals shown by the right winger.

Yes, that's right, Lamine Yamal has been the subject of criticism from an unexpected source, as the former player agent Josep Maria Minguella, in statements to the program 'La Portería' on BTV, did not hesitate to assert with complete lightness that the irregularity in the scoring of the '19' Blaugrana represents a major weakness when considering the 'jewel' of Barça as a complete player.

"Barça plays 70% of their matches against inferior opponents. Lamine is missing something... he doesn't have goals, he doesn't have the goals he could have scored. Raphinha, for example, has more. What Lamine does, he does well, but he lacks something. Robben, in his position, scored goals everywhere, because he hooked with his left foot and shot. A forward has to score goals, if not he lacks something," he concluded.

Lamine Yamal, maybe not a great scorer, but...

A statement that definitely does not seem to be the most accurate, why? Apart from the fact that Lamine Yamal is only 17 years old and has much to learn and mature, with just a season and a half in the elite of world football, he has already scored a notable 13 goals in 69 matches with Barcelona. Furthermore, he has also shown his scoring ability with Spain, where he has scored three goals in 17 matches, including that famous goal in the Euro 2024 'semis' against France.

Besides that, Lamine Yamal has shown that although he may need to 'improve' in the scoring aspect, being purists, it might be bold to say that he lacks scoring ability, especially considering that at his age many of the world's top players and young promises do not have his numbers. Similarly, it is clear that the right winger is much more than a scorer, being decisive in imbalance and one-on-one situations, as well as in playmaking.

In addition, the Spanish-Moroccan has demonstrated a great ability to assist his teammates, currently accumulating 18 assists in 69 matches with Barcelona and five assists in 17 games with the Spanish national team.

Therefore, although becoming a scorer would be a blessing for Barcelona and for Spain, it is clear that he remains a player in development who will continue to add tools to his repertoire, likely becoming a goal-oriented player due to his great shooting ability and the opportunities he can create through dribbling and an inventiveness worthy of football geniuses. Perhaps he needs to improve his finishing or have a bit more luck when scoring, but in the meantime, he continues to be decisive for Barça with his current performance.