One of the best things that Ronald Koeman did in his era was to give youngster Pedri his well-deserved minutes. While the player was bought by the club before Koeman’s arrival, it was the dutch manager who gave the young boy his breakthrough season and put immense trust in the player. Pedri was a beckon of hope for Barca in the previous season and he won the Golden Boy award as well. However, when Xavi Hernadez came into the club, Pedri was injured and everyone knew that it would be tougher to impress Xavi, the legend who has played with the best midfielders of all time.
However, it seems as if even Xavi believes that Pedri could go on to become one of the best in the world. After his recent display of skills and performance, the manager has understood the player’s true potential.
Xavi praises Pedri after his magical performance
In the Barcelona Vs Athletic Bilbao post-match conference, the manager said this about Pedri:
"“Beyond the details, there is how he understands the game. It’s wonderful to watch him play. He reminds me a lot of Andres Iniesta, there is no talent like his, I haven’t seen him, he doesn’t exist. If we talk about talent, he is the best footballer in the world for sure,”Source Fabrizio Romano"
Anyone can call anyone the best player in the world but when it comes from one of the legends of football, there is a certain truth behind it. We have all seen Pedri’s amazing understanding of the game and he knows exactly where his teammates will be and how to fool the opposition. Xavi is mesmerized by the player and now it is up to him to unlock the full potential of this youngster.
Barca must use Pedri and Ansu Fati properly as they will be the face of the club in a few years and with the pace of their development, they could even be up there with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe soon.