Pedri talks Xavi, Messi, Luis Enrique, PSG rumours, injuries

Arriving at a difficult period for FC Barcelona, Pedri has established himself as one of the brightest talents in Europe, helping alleviate the club’s sporting difficulties at the tender age of 20.

However, despite still being a youngster, the Golden Boy Award winner has always spoken like a veteran. Archetypical to his play style, Pedri’s words encapsulate wisdom beyond his years.

In an interview with Teledeporte via SPORT, Pedri discussed a number of matters related to Barcelona and the world of football.

After successfully emerging triumphant in La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup, Pedri made sure to wax lyrical about his coach, exemplifying the trust Xavi has earned behind closed doors.

“The fans don’t value Xavi very much, but inside the dressing room, we value him a lot,” he said.

The departures of Barça legends Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets have been a subject of concern heading into next season as the responsibility now lies on the younger players to step up.

When asked about his new role following the departures of Busquets and Alba, Pedri said: “I don’t want to put the pressure on myself. I try to help the young players in the same way they have helped me.”

Injuries have hampered Pedri quite a bit so far in his Barcelona career. The youngster had several issues during the 2021/22 campaign, while he had a spell on the sidelines this past season as well. Talking about how he wishes to tackle the issue, the Spaniard said:

“I will try to work hard to be lucky enough not to get injured, to reduce the risk as much as possible, and to enjoy football.”

Recently, there had been rumours of PSG making an offer to sign Pedri from Barcelona. With the imminent appointment of Luis Enrique at the Ligue 1 club, the midfielder was asked if he would consider linking up with his former Spain manager in Paris.

In response, Pedri stated that he does not currently have any plans to join the Parisian team, despite having fond memories with the Austrian with the Spanish national team.

Disregarding the rumours, he claimed: “It’s not what I have in mind. I don’t know if Luis Enrique is going to sign players or not. In any case, I’m sure he would be a good coach for PSG.”

Signing off, Pedri commented on Lionel Messi not returning to Barcelona this summer, saying: “It’s one thing we couldn’t decide because if we had decided, he would already be here.”