Barcelona sensation Yamine Lamal has addressed speculation over his private life by declaring himself “single and happy.” Unlike many of the world’s top stars, Lamal, 17, is enjoying a summer break with the Catalan giants not involved in the Club World Cup.

However, the Euro 2024 has still been the target of media scrutiny this summer. This month, he posted holiday snaps on Instagram from Italy, with model influencer Fati Vazquez doing the same three days later. From the background on the photos, followers concluded that Yamal was with the 29-year-old, who then alleged she received abuse on social media.

In a statement, she said, “I’m getting slammed, and it feels unfair. First of all, I’m 29; I haven’t even turned 30 yet. I haven’t done anything wrong; I haven’t hurt anyone. This is affecting my family deeply, and honestly, I don’t want it to escalate further.”

However, she did confirm to her 382,000 followers that she had spent time with Lamal. Insisting she didn’t want a ‘scandal’, she added: “I just spent a few days with Lamine, which is exactly what’s shown in the photos. And that’s it.”

Since being in Italy, Yamal, who turns 18 next month, has gone on another vacation to Brazil. He’s currently spending time with his idol Neymar in Rio de Janeiro, attending a party at the house of the Santos star.

He posted a photo of the pair enjoying themselves on Instagram. In a pointed message to his followers and journalists, he added the caption: “Single and happy. This is Brazil.”

Neymar, 33, responded by complimenting the Ballon d’Or contender. Along with laughing emojis, the former Barca and PSG forward commented: “Turned out to be a cria!”

In Brazil, a ‘cria’ is a reference to a person of humble beginnings who grew up in a working-class family and stayed true to their roots. He appeared to be suggesting that Yamal has remained grounded despite already earning more than £14million per-year in his current contract in Spain.