I want Messi s treatment without Messi s level? Yamal asked for maximum salary, but Barcelona clearly refused

According to media person Victor Navarro, 17-year-old Yamal's agent asked Barcelona for the maximum salary in the team. Barcelona clearly refused to use the salary of Lewandowski (33 million euros annual salary) and De Jong (19 million euros annual salary) as reference standards, calling these contracts a "history legacy" and stressing that it is necessary to avoid repeating the mistakes of Messi's era.

As the "golden boy" of Lamacia's youth training, Yamal has quickly become a phenomenal player since joining the first team in the 2022-2023 season. In the 2024 European Cup, he helped the Spanish team win the championship and won the Golden Boy Award; in the 2024-2025 season, he made 54 appearances for Barcelona, ​​contributing 18 goals and 22 assists, becoming the core contributor of the team's "domestic triple crown" (La Liga, King's Cup, and Spanish Super Cup). His agent Mendes believes that Yamal's competitive value, business influence and future potential have reached the highest level in the team, and should match the maximum salary.

Barca's concerns are obvious: Yamal is only 17 years old. If he is given a maximum salary at this time, he will face a chain reaction of salary inflation when renewing his contract in the future. Club insiders pointed out: "Messi's lesson is vivid. Even if he is the best in history, high salary will eventually lead to an out-of-control salary structure and even forced to leave the team." Therefore, Barcelona tends to lock in Yamal's long-term contract with the "incremental salary + high bonus" model rather than meeting the maximum salary requirements at one time.

Barcelona's salary difficulties are largely due to the high-risk operations of its former management. In 2022, Lewandowski joined at the age of 34, and the annual salary stipulated by the contract was increasing year by year. It will reach 32 million euros in the 2025-26 season, becoming the highest salary in La Liga. Despite Lewandowski's outstanding performance in the first two seasons, the risk of his age and condition decline has made the club eager to push for its salary cuts or leave this summer. Kobe Radio revealed that Barcelona even set a "65% appearance rate" clause to try to put pressure in disguise.

De Jong's contract is another "time bomb". The contract signed in 2020 includes payment extension clauses, and Laporta tried to overturn the agreement after taking office, causing the relationship between the two parties to deteriorate. De Jong insists on paying the unpaid wages in full, otherwise he will refuse to leave the team, while Barcelona regards it as a key goal of salary cleaning. The existence of these two contracts has made Barcelona's current total salary still account for more than 70% of its income, far exceeding the limit of the La Liga Fiscal Fairness Act. The senior team led by Laporta made it clear that the new contract must be slightly consistent with the fiscal policy of the "post-Messi era". In recent years, the club has barely maintained a fiscal balance by selling assets, cutting veteran salaries, and utilizing young players. In 2024, Barcelona's salary bill dropped from 656 million euros to 404 million euros, but the contracts between Lewandowski and De Jong still account for a large proportion. Sports Director Deco pointed out: "We cannot let historical mistakes repeat themselves. Yamal is the core of the future, but the salary structure must be sustainable."

For this reason, Barcelona proposed two plans: one is to sign a long-term contract (such as renewal until 2030), with annual salary increasing year by year and bonuses linked to performance; the other is to refer to Pedri's salary model (about 12 million euros), and then adjust it to the maximum salary level after he is 21 years old. The club believes that giving the maximum salary too early may lead to a decrease in player motivation and squeeze out other new stars' contract renewal space.

The ending of this game will profoundly affect Barcelona's reconstruction process. If Yamal compromises and accepts step-by-step salary, the club can maintain fiscal flexibility and send out a signal of "focusing on youth training"; if the negotiations break down, Mendes may promote the transfer, and Barcelona will face the double blow of the pressure of fans' public opinion and the damage to competitive strength.

In the long run, Barcelona's real challenge lies in how to balance short-term achievements with long-term healthy operations. Although Laporta's "de-height salary" strategy is necessary, if handled improperly, it may cause the hearts of youth training players. As the Ass said: "Yamar is not only a player, but also a Barcelona brand asset. His value exceeds salary numbers, but may also become a financial shackle."

Before the Champions League semi-finals, Italian coach Capello made it clear that Yamal is indeed talented, but it is incomparable to Messi. "I have read some bold statements about Yamal. He does have the talent for the future Golden Ball Awards, but you must know that the 16-year-old Messi has long been a unique existence, and I have witnessed it closely back then."