In a recent interview with AS, Yamal stated that he has no intention of talking about a contract extension until the end of the season, when there are no more games left and Barcelona can celebrate winning one of the three trophies they are chasing, or all three.

AS also reports that extending the contract of the Rocafonda-born striker will not be easy, despite assurances from both the player and his agent Jorge Mendes, who has repeatedly insisted that Yamal will stay at Barca “100% sure”.

While still a minor, Yamal extended his contract with Barca in the summer of 2023 until 2026. He cannot extend his contract further because he is still a minor and the regulations state that contracts cannot last longer than 3 years.

At that time, the terms of the contract extension were supposed to last until 2030, when the player would turn 18. With the explosion of Yamal’s football career, those conditions became completely outdated and the two parties had to meet again.

It should be remembered that Barca’s plan is to offer Yamal a progressive contract so as not to repeat the mistake made with Leo Messi, who earned figures beyond the club’s means between renewals and contract adjustments.

In total, Messi has signed nine new contracts with Barca. The first was signed when he was 18, when Joan Laporta was also president. In June 2005, Messi extended his contract with the club until 2010, but in September the board of directors had to improve his financial terms.

In January 2007, Messi returned to the club to sign a third contract extension until 2014, but in 2008 his contract was amended again in the player’s favour and taking into account the impact he had made on Pep Guardiola’s squad.

In 2009, he renewed his contract with Barca, shortly after his first treble, and things went smoothly until 2012, when he returned to the president’s office. Two years later, in 2014 and before playing in the World Cup in Brazil, he renewed his contract again. The eighth extension came in June 2017 and just five months later, the ninth.

It’s fair to say that Messi has managed to extend or improve his contract every two years. Now Yamal is following a similar path, and that’s something Barca will try to avoid, although they are fully aware that Yamal should be the highest-paid player in Hansi Flick’s squad as he is one of the best players in the world.