FC Barcelona knows that it has an exceptional footballer in Lamine Yamal, a player who, after standing out in the 2023/24 season both with the club and the Spanish national team, breaking all records in his path, has become one of the big names in the international sports scene. This recognition is not only based on his wonderful present but also on the promising future that lies ahead of him, being a true 'game-changer' who seems to be touched by magic.
Conscious of this, the Barcelona team made the wise decision in October 2023 to renew his contract with the club until June 30, 2026. These three years represent the maximum allowed to offer a first professional contract to an underage player. According to 'Capology,' this agreement brings Lamine approximately 1.67 million euros gross annually (800,000 euros net), with gross weekly earnings of 31,115 euros (15,385 euros net).
It is now crucial to consider an important aspect. It is evident that the Barcelona team will seek to extend the duration of Lamine's contract as soon as possible. This opportunity will arise when he reaches the age of majority around July 13, 2025. At that time, as reported by 'SPORT,' the Blaugrana entity and the '19' have a private pact to extend the contract until 2030, ensuring to have the Spanish-Moroccan player until he is approximately 23 years old.
Lamine must receive a necessary salary update in his next renewal
So, when negotiating this necessary renewal, it will be essential to review Rocafonda's earnings. Currently, the figures place him in Barcelona's salary ranking as one of the lowest-paid players, almost comparable to a reserve team player, which seems to be an oversight given his contributions and increasingly prominent role in the team.
To put it into context, the five highest-paid players in the current Catalan squad are: Frenkie de Jong, Robert Lewandowski, Ansu Fati, Jules Koundé, and Raphinha, who significantly exceed Lamine's earnings. For example, De Jong earns around 37.5 million euros gross annually, Lewandowski 33.3 million euros, Fati 13.9 million euros, Koundé 13.5 million euros, and Raphinha 12.5 million euros. This significant difference does not reflect the growing importance of the right winger in Barcelona's aspirations.
Therefore, speculatively, it would not be surprising if, in his next contract renewal, Barcelona seeks to place him in the highest salary bracket of the club, recognizing his potential as a future star, similar to what was done with Ansu Fati. It must be remembered that Fati, considered at the time as the new great 'jewel' of the youth academy, started earning around 830,000 euros gross annually in the 2019-20 season and then, in his 2021 renewal, began to receive approximately 13.9 million euros gross annually, an exponential increase of 1574.7%.
Although given the current economic situation of FC Barcelona, it is possible that the increase for Lamine may not be as drastic, it would not be rare to offer him a proposal that multiplies several times the 1.67 million euros gross he currently receives, getting closer to the five highest-paid players of the Blaugrana team. This would be a necessary recognition for a player whose rising performance could establish him as a global star in the near future, deserving a fitting remuneration and to deter potential tempting offers from other clubs.