‘Happy To See Him Play:’ PSG Sporting Director Luis Campos’ Praise For Lamine Yamal – News18

Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) Sporting Advisor Luis Campos has described Barcelona star Lamine Yamal as an ‘excellent footballer’. While speaking to a small group of media outlets, including Diario AS, at the Thinking Football Summit in Porto, the PSG advisor talked about how it would be foolish to not recognise Yamal for the star he is.

“For my part, saying that Lamine Yamal is not a great player would be a huge mistake. He is an excellent footballer and I am very happy to see him play at the level he does,” Campos said.

During the same conference, Campos was asked if Yamal could be a future target for PSG. He first dodged the issue before speaking on the topic eventually. Talking about PSG’s targets he said, “If all the players who have been linked to PSG in the press were here, we would have five stars per position. And we only need two.” He then added, “Of course, I like Lamine Yamal, but also Dembelé, Barcola, Kang In-Lee, Marco Asensio, Gonçalo Ramos… Fantastic players with enormous quality, let’s not forget.”

Campos eventually concluded by claiming that PSG were quite content with the squad they have in the ongoing season. “PSG is very happy with the players it has in those positions,” he said.

The PSG advisor also talked about how they were approaching their game in the 2024/25 season. “This is not a new season, it is the continuation of the previous one. We made fewer changes than in other years, the players know each other better, and they already know what Luis Enrique has wanted for a year. We will be stronger in all competitions,” he added.

As for Yamal, the 17-year-old has been making headlines ever since his debut with Barcelona last year. Having helped Spain win the UEFA Euro after 12 years, Yamal has featured on the 30-man Ballon d’Or shortlist this year. Seeing the youngster rack up these many achievements at such a tender age has led fans to compare him with club icon Lionel Messi.

Yamal recently addressed those comparisons, saying that it did not bother him. “The truth is if you are being compared to Messi, the best player in history, it’s because you are doing things well. It doesn’t bother me, but obviously, I always try to be myself,” he said, as per multiple outlets.

In the ongoing season, Yamal has continued to be in top form for Barcelona. In the four matches he has played in the LaLiga, the teenage star has scored once while assisting four times. Yamal will now have his eyes set on winning the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League titles back to Barcelona.