Among the crushing Clasico wins, Super Cup victories, and a fiercely defensive league title, Xavi’s most notable accomplishment may have been his part in keeping Lamine Yamal at Barcelona.
According to multiple sources, PSG was the interested party in the summer of 2024 when Barcelona president Joan Laporta revealed that he had received and categorically rejected a €250 million (£210 million) deal for Yamal. But when the French champions first approached Yamal during the 2022–2023 season, they would have been able to sign the prodigy for nothing.
Following a successful stint with Barcelona’s youth squads, clubs from all across the continent were interested in the Masia graduate. In 244 official games for the club’s various underage teams, the winger scored an incredible 357 goals.
When Yamal turned 16 in July 2023 and his contract was about to expire, PSG would have had the right to evict him from the team he had joined at the age of six. The manager of the first squad at the time, Xavi, a former Masia graduate, was encouraged to talk to Yamal.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the two agreed that Xavi would give Yamal his senior debut in exchange for his continued loyalty to the team. In April 2023, with seven minutes left and Barcelona ahead 4-0 against Real Betis at home, Xavi pushed Yamal into the field.
The winger became the youngest player in Barcelona history at the age of 15 years and 291 days. He nearly scored the goal, forcing Rui Silva to make a fantastic save.
