Pedri opens up on having early doubts at Barcelona – ‘Didn’t expect to be here in my first year’ | OneFootball

The signing of Pedri by Barcelona has become one of the best pieces of business in recent football history.

The midfielder stood out in the youth ranks of UD Las Palmas and had shown promise in his early appearances with the first team, but few could have predicted how quickly he would rise to the level he has reached.

Barcelona paid an initial €5 million in 2019, with additional variables that have since been met, pushing the total fee beyond €20 million.

Even so, it still looks like a bargain for what many consider one of the best midfielders in the world.

Pedri on his early tenure at Barcelona

At the beginning, however, not even Pedri himself was sure about his immediate future. After signing him, the club allowed him to stay on loan at Las Palmas, and the original plan was to send him out on loan again the following season (2020/21), this time to a La Liga side.

But everything changed once he started training with the first team. His quality quickly won everyone over – especially then-manager Ronald Koeman and Lionel Messi.

Pedri himself recalled those uncertain early days in an interview with the club, saying (h/t SPORT):

“In this club, we always say: one year here is like several elsewhere; we’re well aware of the club’s stature. No, I didn’t expect to be here in my first year, nor to have the number.”

Best in the world. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Continuing, he added: “When I first came here, I was staying in a hotel and would go back to my brother’s place to sleep.

“I’d always tell him, ‘Training’s gone well, let’s see if I’m lucky enough to stay’ – and well, we’d always talk about it, until Koeman told me I was staying, and here I am today.”

In the end, common sense prevailed. Koeman quickly realised he had a player who could contribute immediately, and that same season he became a regular starter and a key figure in Barcelona’s Copa del Rey triumph.

He also developed a special connection with Messi. As revealed by Koeman himself, the Argentine recognised Pedri’s potential from day one and constantly looked for him in training sessions and matches.

It was a partnership that, unfortunately for Barcelona fans, only lasted one season before Messi’s departure.