Spanish manager reveals key Real Madrid executive had rejected Pedri – “Not a Real Madrid player” | OneFootball

After leaving Tenerife in 2024, Pepe Mel has once again found himself a coaching gig, this time in North Africa.

Last month, the Spanish manager signed a deal with Ittihad Tangier, one of the biggest clubs in Morocco. Having extensively coached teams in Spain, Mel is well aware of the developments in Spanish football and has inside knowledge of most things.

In a recent interaction (h/t Diario SPORT), Mel revealed critical information regarding Pedri and how Real Madrid had rejected the opportunity to snap him up.

Pepe Mel on Butragueno rejecting Pedri

Mel revealed that before he joined Barcelona, Pedri, who recently admitted his desire to sign Kylian Mbappe for Barcelona, was a key target for Real Madrid, who were actively monitoring the former Las Palmas midfielder.

“Real Madrid even monitored him,” said Mel, before revealing his conversation with Real Madrid executive Emilio Butragueno, a club legend, who currently serves as a chairman.

Pepe Mel was a key influence on Pedri’s early career. (Photo by Rafa Babot/Getty Images)

It must be noted that Mel was serving as the coach of Las Palmas at the time, having played a key role in giving Pedri a breakthrough at the highest level.

During the conversation with Butragueno, Mel revealed that the Real Madrid executive didn’t recognise Pedri as someone who is a ‘Real Madrid player’.

Six-seven years down the line, that line would end up haunting Real Madrid, as Pedri has not only become one of the best midfielders in the world but also plays for their arch-rivals, Barcelona.

Indeed, Pedri signed a deal with Barcelona in 2019, before joining the first-team a year later. Since then, the youngster has racked up 235 competitive appearances for the club.

Meanwhile, Mel also talked about one of Morocco’s star players in Brahim Diaz. “Brahim is the star, the leader, but the team is fantastic, and I wouldn’t single out just one player,” he concluded.