Bukayo Saka Weighs in on Rise of Barcelona Teenager Lamine Yamal
- Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has showered Barcelona star Lamine Yamal with praise after his latest performances
- The 17-year-old recently produced a sensational performance in the Champions League, which earned him rave reviews
- He has played 100 games for Barcelona and has been tipped to win the Ballon d'Or in future
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Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has shared his thoughts on Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal. The 17-year-old has been producing eye-catching performances this season, especially in big games.
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What did Bukayo Saka say about Lamine Yamal?
Since his Barcelona debut in April 2023, Yamal has emerged as one of the world's top talents. His dribbling skills, in particular, have consistently troubled defenders in La Liga and the Champions League.
His performance against Inter Milan in the first leg of the Champions League on Wednesday earned widespread praise from fans, pundits and fellow players.
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He pulled his team back into the game after going 2–0 down, scoring a stunning goal to spark the comeback. Although they drew 3-3, he stood out.
Saka's rise to the top mirrors Yamal’s in many ways. The England star has become Arsenal’s standout performer and a regular in the national team. He said Yamal is "not normal."
"He's top. Honestly, doing what he is doing at his age, what can you say, he's unreal. It's not normal. No one does it. I don't think I've seen that level for a 17-year-old, so credit to him," he told Sky Sports.
Yamal has registered 15 goals and 24 assists in 49 matches in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.
Best reactions to Lamine Yamal
Former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez tipped him to reach Lionel Messi and Ronaldo's level.
"We’re looking at a player destined to make history. Everything we see from him week after week, and everything we hear about his personality, suggests he can become an exceptional player in the coming years, someone on the level of Messi or Cristiano," he told Gazzeta dello Sport.
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Barcelona coach Hansi Flick was in awe after their 3-3 draw with Inter Milan.
"It's not only the talent, the genius he is, it's also hard work when you want to reach this level, [like Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Lionel] Messi, the big, big players in the past," Flick said via ESPN.
"I haven't seen a player like Yamal in the last eight or nine years," said Inter boss Inzaghi after the game. "We had to put three players on him."
Yamal made his debut for Barcelona in April 2023 and has played 100 times for the Spanish giants. He has 22 goals and 33 assists for the club.
How Yamal compares to Messi
In a related story, TUKO.co.ke compared Yamal's stats to club icon Lionel Messi after 100 games.
Messi had scored 41 goals for Barcelona in 100 games, while Yamal has only 22. However, the youngster has registered 33 assists, 12 more than Messi.
Messi went on to win eight Ballon d'Ors and four Champions League crowns. He led Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
