“We will continue watching Lamine” - Lamine Yamal's father responds to Nico Williams snubbing Barcelona transfer

Lamine Yamal's father, Mounir Nasraoui, has given an emphatic response to Nico Williams' Barcelona snub. The Athletic Bilbao forward recently turned down a move to Camp Nou in favour of a lengthy stay at the San Mames.

The Catalans had reportedly made Williams their priority target for the summer transfer window. The LaLiga champions wanted a new left-winger this year to add more bite to Hansi Flick's already impressive attack and had identified the Spaniard for the job.

Barcelona, interestingly, scored 174 goals from 60 games last season, with Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, and Raphinha accounting for a chunk of them. However, the Catalans were convinced that Williams would help them hit a higher gear in the upcoming campaign

The 22-year-old registered 11 goals and seven assists from 45 games across competitions in the recently concluded campaign. Recent reports suggested that he had already agreed personal terms ahead of a move to Camp Nou.

The Spanish champions were apparently preparing to trigger his €62m release clause when Williams performed a U-turn. The player signed a new deal with the Basque club until 2035, leaving Barcelona fans distraught.

However, speaking on Instagram Live, Nasraoui reminded fans that they still have Lamine Yamal.

“Nothing happens, we will continue watching Lamine,” said Nasraoui.

Yamal's father also confirmed that there are no doubts about his son's future at Camp Nou. Pointing to a picture of the 17-year-old on the wall, Nasraoui added:

“Don’t worry, we have everything done.”

Lamine Yamal scored 18 goals and set up 25 more from 55 games across competitions in the 2024-25 season, and recently signed a new contract until 2031.

Are Barcelona eyeing a move for Denzel Dumfries this summer?

Inter Milan are worried about an approach from Barcelona for Denzel Dumfries this summer, according to Mundo Deportivo. The Dutch right-back was outstanding for the Nerazzurri in the 2024-25 campaign, registering 11 goals and six assists from 47 games.

While Dumfries is under contract with the Serie A giants until 2028, he reportedly has a €25m release clause in his contract, which is active until July 15. Inter Milan believe that Barcelona could try to trigger this option to prise the 29-year-old away.

The Catalans have a settled right-back in Jules Kounde, but lack able cover for the position in their squad. The Frenchman, meanwhile, is a center back by profession, and Dumfries's proposed arrival could help him move back to his natural role.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 20 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

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Edited by Deepungsu Pandit