Hansi Flick is not planning to use Lamine Yamal as a false nine, with Barcelona’s coaching staff firmly committed to keeping the teenager on the right flank for the foreseeable future, according to El País.
Flick’s Preference Is Clear
Flick has experimented with Yamal through the middle – most notably in last season’s league match against Real Betis – but El País report that such a move is not currently in his plans. The coaching staff at the Camp Nou prefer to deploy Yamal on the right flank, where he can operate with maximum freedom and express the dribbling, speed and technical quality that have defined his emergence as one of Europe’s most dangerous wide players.
Lamine Yamal has readily admitted he expects to move from his right wing role to a central position at some point in the future but the club’s present stance is gradualist. There is no urgency to accelerate that shift.
New Arrivals Reinforce the Plan
The arrivals of Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi – alongside the continued presence of Raphinha – have made the calculus even cleaner. Barcelona believe the physical attributes and running profiles of those three attackers can help create the spaces Yamal thrives in when operating from the right. the club want him exploiting the gaps those teammates open up.
It is a squad architecture logic as much as a developmental one. Flick’s attacking recruitment this summer has been built around giving Yamal a support structure, not a new position. Barcelona are also still hoping to sign Julian Alvarez this summer to boost their attack further, with the Argentina international set to take over at No. 9 if he does arrive from Atletico – whose arrival from Atlético Madrid Barcelona are still pursuing – would further cement that framework, with the Argentina international expected to occupy the No. 9 role if the deal is completed.
