Lamine Yamal ranked among Europe’s top U-21 attackers

Lamine Yamal’s remarkable rise at Barcelona has been underlined by new advanced data ranking him among the most productive under-21 attackers in Europe based on non-penalty expected goals (npxG).

The 18-year-old winger has posted an impressive 8.61 npxG this season, placing him second on the continent in his age group.

He sits just behind Ajax youngster Mika Godts, who leads the list with 8.62 npxG, a tiny gap that shows how closely matched Europe’s top emerging forwards are in terms of the chances they generate and get on the end of. Köln talent Said El Mala ranks third on 8.47, continuing his strong development in the Bundesliga.

Juventus starlet Kenan Yildiz comes in fourth with 7.80 npxG, while Como midfielder Nico Paz rounds out the top five on 7.36, further underlining his creative influence in Serie A. For Barcelona, the numbers confirm what many already see on the pitch: Yamal is already performing at a level that puts him firmly among the most dangerous young attacking players in Europe and a central piece of the club’s future.