Former Barcelona presidential candidate: “Lamine Yamal will be the next Messi” | OneFootball

Jordi Majo, a Catalan businessman, who was a candidate for the Barcelona presidential elections in 2008 and a pre-candidate in 2015, has sensationally claimed that Lamine Yamal will be the next ‘Lionel Messi’.

Speaking in an interview on El 10 del Barça (h/t SPORT), Majo suggested that Barcelona must be open to listening to offers for every player on the right flank except for Yamal, who he believes will be the heir to Messi at the club.

“For the right prices, except for Lamine Yamal, I would sell them all because they all have replacements. Lamine will be the next Messi, with all due respect,” he said.

“He is only 16 years old and you have to be cautious. Every now and then a talent comes along and for me, the latest one is Lamine,” he continued.

“Barça, without Messi, would not have marked the era that they did. You have to know how to retain the talented player at any price, the one who can mark an era.”

Yamal continues to be compared with Lionel Messi. (Photo by LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)

Yamal has been constantly compared to Messi following a spectacular breakthrough campaign at Barcelona this past season.

The youngster himself commented on the comparisons during an interview recently, stating that there can be no other Messi and that he would be lucky to have a career half as successful as the Barcelona legend.

“Messi is the best player in history. To be compared to him is incredible but no one can be compared to him. I hope to have half the career that Messi has had,” he said.

Just 16 years old, Yamal has shown great potential and appears set for a bright future at the club.

However, constant comparisons with one of the greatest footballers of all time like Messi might be ill-advised as it could put unnecessary pressure on the youngster’s shoulders.