Lamine Yamal cements his status at Barcelona with a brace against Rayo Vallecano

Two kisses to the crest, a brace, and a message loud and clear for the rest of the league. Lamine Yamal didn't need many words to show where Barcelona stands at this point in the season, and in the process he quieted any noise about the signing that got away from the club over the summer transfer window.

The Barcelona winger was the star of the show in the team's win over Rayo Vallecano, played this Monday at Spotify Camp Nou, where he scored twice to help the club reach 12 goals through the first three matchdays of La Liga. A number that, according to Lamine himself, speaks for itself about the state of the team.

"Obviously he's a great player, but I'm very happy with the squad we have," Lamine said when asked about Julian Alvarez, the name most linked with reinforcing Barcelona's attack before the deal fell through and the Argentine striker stayed at Atletico Madrid. No regrets, no excuses: "Right now we're doing very well and it's showing. We're not short on goals," the young academy product added.

Scoring again for "the club of my life"

The two goals against Rayo Vallecano carried special meaning for Lamine, who celebrated by kissing the crest twice as Camp Nou erupted. After the match, he explained what he felt out on the pitch:

"I was really thrilled to score again for the club of my life, I'm very happy. I'm also very happy to be here."Lamine Yamal

It's not the first time the young man from Mataro has shared such affectionate words about the club, but with such a strong start to the league campaign, every gesture carries a bit more weight with the fans.

An honor from his own peers

On top of his strong form on the pitch, Lamine was voted best player in La Liga by his fellow professionals for the second season in a row. A recognition he valued especially because it came from those who share the day to day grind with him on the field:

"Any award is welcome, especially one from a players' association, because at the end of the day they're the ones who really know. There's always a lot of talk about everything that happens with me, but I'm very happy and content," he said, referring to the constant media attention he's received since establishing himself as one of the top figures in world soccer, and having recently been part of the Spain squad that won the Club World Cup.

Asked about Jose Mourinho's revamped Real Madrid, he preferred not to draw comparisons. Instead, he was direct about what he expects from his own team this season: "We want to win everything, that's what matters." A short line, but one that sums up the goal shared inside the Barcelona locker room: to make up ground in Europe and compete on every front once again.