Barcelona had a tough season last year and the only reason why it was not a complete failure was due to the fact that Ronald Koeman was able to discover some of Barca’s hidden gems. Due to the financial restrictions placed on Barcelona, the Catalans could not really buy many new players and Koeman just brought in Segino Dest. He had to work with the youngsters and put immense trust in them. Due to his trust, players such as Pedri, Ronald Araujo, Oscar Mingueza and Ilaix Moriba were discovered. However, it was not all the youngsters, it was also Lionel Messi.
Messi single-handedly had over 30 goals in that season and he was the reason why the club finished so high up on the table. The Argentine had one of his best seasons with the club and in every match, the Catalans played without him, there was a huge hole in the system. Pedri in particular benefited from Messi because the two had a special bond and it was seen on the field as well. The legend trusted the youngster and the youngster repaid his trust by making some beautiful passes.
Barcelona youngster says that he misses his time with Lionel Messi
Now, however, the legend is struggling in Paris and Pedri says that it is tough for him to see Messi like that. He said in an interview with La Vanguardia,
"“Whenever I can, I watch his matches because you learn a lot by watching the best footballer in the world play,”“But it’s true that when things don’t work out for a friend, as I consider him, it hurts a bit.”_Source Goal via La Vanguardia"
Pedri then went on to say that he loved his time with Messi and that he learnt a lot from the player, on and off the pitch. He said that he would love to have the Catalan giant back at Barca, where he belongs. However, that is a dream that will remain a dream for at least one more season. PSG has no intentions of selling the player and Messi does not want to leave the club without making an impact.
Do you think Barca should try to bring back Messi or should they try to get Erling Haaland instead? Let us know in the comments down below.