Hansi Flick Rejects Central Shift for Lamine Yamal as Barcelona Build Attack Around Right Flank Star
FC Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has decided against deploying Lamine Yamal in a central role, reaffirming the coaching staff’s commitment to utilizing the teenage forward along the right flank for the foreseeable future.
Despite brief tactical experiments moving Yamal through the middle during a league match against Real Betis last season, Spanish news outlet El País reports that Flick has no immediate interest in converting the prodigy into a false nine. The club’s technical team believes the right wing offers Yamal the optimal platform to showcase his speed, isolated 1v1 dribbling, and technical brilliance, which have rapidly propelled him into elite European football.
While Lamine Yamal has previously acknowledged that his long-term career path may eventually lead to a central position, Barcelona are adopting a patient, gradualist philosophy regarding his positional development, refusing to fast-track any tactical shift.
The club’s recent squad construction further reflects this strategic blueprint. The acquisitions of Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, alongside the continued influence of Raphinha, are designed to complement Yamal rather than displace him. Barcelona’s hierarchy considers the physical profiles and direct running capacity of these wingers essential for drawing defensive coverage and opening up crucial central and half-space gaps for Yamal to exploit from wide starting positions.
To complete the forward line without placing central striking duties on their young winger, Barcelona remain active in the transfer market for a recognized focal point. The club is pursuing Argentina international Julian Alvarez from Atlético Madrid, intending for him to anchor the attack at No. 9 and solidify a balanced structure that keeps Yamal operating from his preferred right flank position.
