Prior to the most recent European Championship, FC Barcelona rejected an offer amounting to $270 million (€250 million), which would have established a new record for the highest transfer fee ever paid. This information was disclosed by the Spanish news agency EFE, citing unnamed sources within the Catalan club.
Lamine’s extraordinary goal for Spain in the semifinals of the competition against France on Tuesday has made him a sensation across the continent.
In the eighth minute of the match, Kolo Muani scored a header to give the French team, Les Bleus, an early lead. However, the team led by Kylian Mbappe was unable to maintain their advantage as Lamine, who was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the match, scored an equalizer in the 21st minute. Subsequently, Dani Olmo scored, giving Spain a 2-1 lead that they successfully defended until the end of the game.
In the aftermath of Neymar’s departure from FC Barcelona in 2017, the club has secured a contract with the 16-year-old Lamine that includes a staggering $1.082 billion (€1 billion) release clause.
At the time of Neymar’s contract, Barcelona believed that the Brazilian player was securely tied to the club, requiring any interested team to pay €222 million ($240 million) to release him from his contract at Camp Nou.
However, this amount underestimated the financial power of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), which paid the record-breaking sum to acquire Neymar, thereby transforming the transfer market forever.
In 2024, PSG, a dominant force in Ligue 1 and backed by Qatar, has shown a willingness to make similar substantial investments to acquire Lamine. The club views him as the perfect successor to Mbappe, who is expected to join Real Madrid.
