Pep Guardiola Says He Would Love To Coach Young Prodigy Lamine Yamal (image-instagram/pepteam)

Lamine Yamal had become talk of the town with his exceptional performance at the football ground. The 17-year-old, who is considered to be one of the brightest young prospects in the sport, is now being acclaimed as one of the best players on the planet. At this young age, the player is now one of the top candidates to win the Ballon d’Or, which would be an unbelievable accomplishment.

While speaking to the media on Wednesday night, former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola was asked to compare Lamine Yamal with Lionel Messi, especially given his accomplishment at this young age. “He has to build his career first. And when it’s over, we’ll see what level he’s at,” he began saying.

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Then laughing, he added, “If at such a young age some people are starting to compare him to Messi, then my God! He must be a truly exceptional player.”

Guardiola also added that he would love to coach Lamine Yamal one day, though he admitted that it “won’t happen.” This week, Guardiola had confirmed City’s interest in the youngster. However, he added that Lamine is at the best club to be the best.

“I’m sure he’s well surrounded by his people. I would tell him to make his career and we’ll see. Hopefully it will be long and full of successes like Leo’s. He will have to prove it every three days for fifteen years. I enjoyed Leo. I’d love to coach Lamine, but it won’t happen,” the Catalan added.

Being aware of interest in Lamine Yamal from other prestigious clubs, Barcelona had renewed the youngster’s contract until 2031.

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Yamal had put pen to paper on a contract that runs until 2031, after a season where he’s won La Liga and the Copa del Rey for the first time.