Fermín López: Losing Dembélé Hurt, But We Gained a Future Star in Lamine Yamal

The Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez expressed his belief that the 17-year-old forward of the Catalan club Lamine Yamal has the potential to win the Ballon d’Or.

— Is Yamal a potential Ballon d’Or winner?
— For me, yes. I see how he trains, the way he lives his life, and how he plays — it’s truly amazing. However, we shouldn’t put too much pressure on him regarding the Ballon d’Or. It will come to him because he is exceptional.

— Will his «battle» with Dembele be resolved in the upcoming Nations League match?
— People will always debate this, but it’s clear that Lamine has done a lot to earn it. We hardly played together at Barcelona with Dembele; that was during preseason. He’s a really talented player, and it was unfortunate that he left, but then Yamal came along, and he’s not far behind, — quotes Fermin, as reported by Sport.es.