Jorge Mendes paid father of 15-year-old Barcelona talent €3m to become agent | OneFootball

La Masia jewel Lamine Yamal is one of the most promising talents in Barcelona, and is making plenty of headlines. The 15-year-old was included in the first-team squad by Xavi Hernandez against Atletico Madrid on Sunday, and is reportedly a major fan.

Yamal has been singled out as a potential star and Xavi has reportedly identified him as the most talented player in the academy currently. Turning 16 this summer, Barcelona will be trying desperately to ensure that he signs his first contract with the club, and that nothing goes wrong.

He will also become available for representatives when he hits 16. According to RadioMarca, Ivan de la Pena had been in charge of his affairs – he also represents Gavi. However he will now be represented by superagent Jorge Mendes. The Madrid-based outlet say that Mendes has allegedly paid €3m to Yamal’s father in order to ensure he takes Yamal on as a client.

No doubt Mendes is gambling that he will turn a significant profit on Yamal in commissions further down the line. Barcelona are unlikely to complain about this matter either. As mentioned, Yamal is one of their biggest talents and they are unlikely to want to risk his loss. Equally, they are heavily involved with Mendes and a number of his clients, meaning they can ill-afford to threaten the relationship.