Barcelona, May 18 : FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta confirmed the club is close to tying down young gem Lamine Yamal with a contract extension.

The Spaniard's current contract with the club is set to run out in 2026 and Laporta confirmed that the contract extension deal is already in place with only the signature pending.

'Lamine's contract renewal has already been agreed upon, and all that remains is the official signing. He is a genius who enjoys playing for Barcelona, ''has friends at the club, and is part of a generation that has a strong bond with his teammates,' said Laporta in a press conference.

When asked if Yamal's wages will match his growing rise in football and importance at the Barcelona side, Laporta replied, 'At Barcelona, ''we pay players according to their abilities. We are a club that pays well. We also say that there is no better place than Barcelona.'

On April 29, 2023, Yamal was 15 years, 9 months and 16 days old when he made his league debut against Betis, making him the youngest player ever to appear in a competitive fixture for the team.

He has since become one of their most lethal forwards and is one of the most promising players in the world. He has represented the Catalonian side on 104 occasions while scoring 24 goals and dishing out 34 assists. His season tally stands at 17 goals and 25 assists and he led Barca to a historic domestic treble.

In the end, Laporta cited the example of the greatest Barcelona player in history, Lionel Messi, who has often been used as a standard for the 17-year-old forward and said Yamal, like the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, knows the Spanish side provides the best project for a player of his stature.

'Something similar happened to me with Lionel Messi, when Inter were trying to sign him and in the end, we all decided, including Messi's father, that Barcelona had the best project for him and it was the right decision because he became the best in history.'

'At only 17, Lamine is among the best players in the world and he feels comfortable here, as does his family,' concluded Laporta.

/IANS