"He is very young and seems like an expert" - Napoli manager says Barcelona star has the 'quality to become the best player in the world'
Napoli boss Francesco Calzona has tipped Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal to become one of the best players in the world.
Yamal, 16, has enjoyed a meteoric rise at Camp Nou which has seen him become the Blaugrana's youngest ever player. He also became La Liga's youngest-ever goalscorer in a 2-2 draw with Granada in October.
The Spanish teenager will be in UEFA Champions League action with Barcelona tomorrow (March 12). His side face Serie A giants Napoli in the second leg of their last 16 tie with the scores level at 1-1 on aggregate.
Yamal heads into that game at Barca's Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys with six goals and seven assists in 37 games across competitions. He's expected to start in attack as Xavi's men look to advance to the quarterfinals.
Napoli boss Calzona is aware of Yamal's talent and gave a glowing assessment of Spain's youngest-ever player. He said (via Barca Universal):
"Lamine Yamal has the quality to become the best player in the world. He is very young and seems like an expert. He has everything to be a world top player."
Barcelona have boasted several iconic players who have laid claim to being the best in the world while at Camp Nou. None more so than Lionel Messi, the La Liga giants' all-time top goalscorer and an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.
Yamal is the latest superstar to emerge from Barca's La Masia academy. The teenage winger's groundbreaking start with the Catalan giants has been remarkable.
Barcelona reportedly rejected a €200 million offer from PSG for Lamine Yamal
Barcelona could face a fight to keep hold of Yamal as he continues to shatter records and light up Spanish football. He appears to be on Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain's radar.
Reports claim that Barca have turned down a whooping €200 million offer for Yamal from PSG. The Parisians view the Spaniard as Kylian Mbappe's replacement with the France captain expected to join Real Madrid.
Barcelona want to keep hold of Yamal as they view him as the future of the club. They are in murky financial waters but losing the attacker is not under consideration.
Yamal has two years left on his contract with the reigning La Liga champions. He has become an undisputed starter under Xavi this season.
PSG have a tough task in trying to replace Mbappe who has been their protagonist for several years. The six-time Ligue 1 champion is their all-time top scorer and has bagged 34 goals and seven assists in 35 games across competitions this season.
However, the fact that Yamal is on Luis Enrique's list of candidates to replace Mbappe speaks volumes of his rise. If he and Barca accepted the Parisians' offer he would've become world football's second most expensive signing in history.