Pedri talks Koeman, Messi, and his trial with Real Madrid

Pedro González López, the eighteen-year-old star midfielder for Barcelona this season, has risen to fame in the span of only six months, having seen his transfer value rise from no assigned value in September 2019 to a whopping €70m in March 2021, according to Transfermarkt.

He has been a phenomenal central midfielder for Barca, showing limitless displays of quality and the potential for even more. Recently, he has spoken to RAC1 about Ronald Koeman, Lionel Messi, and his trial with Real Madrid.

The eighteen-year-old midfield maestro was full of praises for his new gaffer Ronald Koeman: “The truth is, Koeman surprised me a lot. It’s not how I thought it was. He is very committed, and gives us tips to improve and to enjoy what we do.”

What had been a rocky start to life at Barcelona for Ronald Koeman is now becoming more in tune with what the young Canary Islander had to say about him. Koeman has shown the utmost commitment to the Blaugrana badge, having been a club legend in the past and now its dedicated coach.

Additionally, Pedri said, “I would like Koeman to continue, he has given me a lot of confidence this season.” While it would have been easy for most coaches to overlook an eighteen-year-old, inexperienced member of the squad such as Pedri for more accomplished players like Pjanic, Koeman has not shied away from favouring Pedri on the basis of merit.

For the Dutchman, it seems age is less of a factor than performance both on the field and during training. This courage has allowed the defender-turned-manager to turn Pedri from a peripheral figure in the squad to a regular appearance in the starting eleven.

Realizing his dream of playing with Lionel Messi, the young Spaniard was neither short of praise nor hope when discussing him. “I hope that Messi will continue at Barça for many years. No one is a guarantee in the eleven, except Leo Messi,” said Pedri.

The midfield maestro has been enjoying regular minutes on the field with the six-time Ballon d’Or winner, having even built a special synergy with Leo, as the two can be seen consistently combining in attacking moves and beautiful creative displays. It seems – after a long time  – Pedri has managed to provide a creative outlet to Barca’s attack other than just Messi; an outlet that the Blaugrana had been desperately lacking until the young maestro showed up.

Finally, Pedri spoke about his trials with Real Madrid during his youth years. “In the first few days I was there, when I put on the kit, I looked at the badge and I knew something wasn’t quite right. In the end, though, I was lucky enough to end up at the club that I want to be at.”

It is evident that the technically astute magician was not only born to be a generational footballer in the years to come but also to represent the Garnet and the Blue while making his mark on the football world.

Article by Shivraj Duggal