La Masia revival: Barca now has the 'next Lamine Yamal'

Barcelona's La Masia academy has long been renowned as a cradle for producing top-tier players who seamlessly integrate into the club's first team.

Lamine Yamal is the most recent prime example of a talent nurtured by La Masia, who at just 18 years old became a European champion with Spain, secured a domestic treble with Barcelona, and even finished runner-up in the Ballon d'Or race.

Now, some at Barcelona believe they have uncovered a new "raw gem" with the potential to reach Yamal’s level. The name mentioned is Ebrima Tunkara, a 15-year-old prodigy making significant waves within the Catalan club. According to expert transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano, multiple sources at Barca are very optimistic about Tunkara’s chances of soon joining the first team, with some even suggesting his rise could rival Yamal’s trajectory.

Born in Gambia, Tunkara moved with his family to Spain in 2017 and joined the AEiLL Cerdanyola Mataro academy. Just a year later, his talent caught the attention of Barcelona scouts, and he was quickly brought into La Masia. Although left-footed, this young player stands out for his speed dribbling and decisiveness, frequently creating breakthroughs when penetrating opposing defenses. Currently, despite being only 15, Tunkara has already been promoted to play for Barca’s U19 team in the UEFA Youth League — a rarity even among top talents.

Though originally from Gambia, Tunkara has only represented Spain’s youth teams, having played for the U15, U16 squads, and now serving as a key player for the U17s, where he has scored 3 goals in 4 matches. Notably, in early October 2025, Tunkara became the youngest player to score a brace for Spain’s U17 team in their victory over Andorra, breaking the record previously set by Lamine Yamal himself.

Besides being quick and skillful, Tunkara also possesses the physique and strength to compete against older opponents. This impressive form has prompted super-agent Pini Zahavi (representative of many top global stars) to be assigned the task of negotiating a new contract between Tunkara and Barcelona, highlighting the player’s growing influence in the youth football world.

There is currently no information about interest from other major clubs, but he is expected to soon sign a new deal with Barcelona, putting to rest any short-term speculation about his future. Ebrima Tunkara was born on March 10, 2010, and his current contract with Barca runs until June 30, 2026.

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