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Former Manchester United, Newcastle, and Tottenham Hotspur striker Louis Saha has warned Lamine Yamal that he won’t match the legacy of Lionel Messi because he doesn’t have the same “obsession” with football as Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Barcelona youngster has often been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons this season, with Saha the latest to fear that his potential could be wasted.
Lamine listless as Barca slump to defeat at Chelsea
Yamal lost his duel against Spanish national teammate Marc Cucurella comprehensively on Tuesday evening at Stamford Bridge, with the left-back keeping his word. “I’ll try to make things as difficult as possible for him,” the left-back joked in September when talking about the matchup.
Even with his steady return of goals and assists, there’s been a subtle – but unmistakable – dip in the influence Yamal exerts on games this season. Granted, his performances have been affected after being diagnosed with pubalgia, with has prevented the 2025 Ballon d’Or runner-up from gaining the necessary rhythm.
However, over the past four months, he has made headlines for the wrong reasons more often than the right ones. He received severe backlash for his wild 18th birthday bash in July. Then, he accused eternal rivals Real Madrid of stealing and complaining.
Yamal warned of wasting his talent
Saha, a Premier League icon, recently spoke to OLBG and warned that Yamal’s “talent could be wasted because we are starting to see too many things in the papers about him.”
“I think only PSG or Man City could afford to pay £300m for Lamine Yamal. I still think that if you look at his trajectory, it would be sad to see him go so early for a big move,” said Saha.
“For the sake of the football we love, we want to see him develop in Barcelona, do well for Barcelona and be stable in Barcelona. I’m scared that this talent could be wasted because we are starting to see too many things in the papers about him.
“That’s going to be a sad story because he’s such a big talent for the next 15 years and I want to see the best from him so I want to protect this kid. Moving around is not good. I think Neymar left Barcelona for this kind of hype. He wanted to be the one big player at PSG.
“Neymar is such a waste because I think at Barcelona he will have really enjoyed himself and show that there was a complementary way to play with Messi over the years. Sometimes the management it’s not easy to do because you have ego and you can find yourself dragged into something that is not very useful to your game.”
Yamal won’t reach the heights of Messi & Ronaldo, says Saha
Yamal’s meteoric rise to superstardom, all while being only 18, has drawn comparisons to Barcelona legend Messi. Recently, former Netherlands international Wesley Sneijder even claimed that it was “possible” for Yamal to supersede the heights scaled by Messi. However, Saha disagrees, explaining that it’s likely he will follow the footsteps of a Neymar rather than a Messi or a Ronaldo.
“Could Lamine Yamal one day overtake Lionel Messi? It would be good for him but I don’t think so,” the ex-Manchester United forward opined. “I doubt that he can achieve that because I see Lamine Yamal’s quality as a player but I don’t see an obsession where you really focus on your football that Cristiano Ronaldo also has.
“These guys are absolutely insanely obsessed. Some distractions are already around Yamal, that’s not good. I think you’ll find him dragged away from the game like Neymar, who has, for me, maybe better quality.
“Over the years, I’ve never seen anything like Neymar. Even if Yamal is incredible, I think Neymar was just at another level but he did not have the best lifestyle and over the years he got injuries and was dragged into things that are not helpful for his career.
“This is where I’m very scared that Yamal will try to choose the same kind of trajectory. That would be sad for football.”
Yamal in it to win it all
While onlookers and naysayers may try to diminish Yamal’s light, the youngster remains a highly ambitious and motivated individual. The Barca academy graduate has laid the gauntlet for himself, targeting a treble of Champions League, World Cup, and the Ballon d’Or. “I want it all. I hope I achieve it all, and as long as we can play, it’s possible,” he stated to Marca.
“All the individual titles indicate that it has been a great season for the team. For me, it brings me happiness and pride. Accumulating awards at my age is very positive. I’m going to keep working and fighting to achieve things like this.”
