The idea inside the club’s offices was to send the young midfielder on loan so he could gain experience before making the jump to the first team.
However, everything changed in just a few days.
That story was recently explained by Ronald Koeman, Barça’s coach between 2020 and 2021, who recalled the moment he realized the Canary Islander had something special.
Messi spotted Pedri’s talent in training
Koeman admitted that when Pedri first arrived at the club, he barely knew anything about the young midfielder.
“I was the first Barcelona coach to meet Pedri. I didn’t know who he was. The club signed him from Las Palmas and the plan was to loan him out,” Koeman explained.
But the coach’s impression changed very quickly.
“After two days of training I saw an absolutely incredible footballer,” he added.
Still, there was one detail that convinced him completely.
Messi’s reaction changed everything
During training sessions, Koeman noticed something that immediately caught his attention: Lionel Messi constantly looked to combine with Pedri.
“I saw Lionel Messi trying to connect with him all the time. Messi only passed the ball to Pedri.”
For the Dutch coach, that was the ultimate confirmation that the young midfielder was special.
“Believe me, if Messi doesn’t rate you, he won’t pass you the ball in training. He’ll simply ignore you.”
The decision to keep him in the first team
After witnessing that connection between Messi and Pedri, Koeman decided to change the club’s initial plan.
“I saw their connection growing. For me, that was the definitive confirmation that I had made the right decision by keeping Pedri at Barcelona.”
From that moment on, the midfielder quickly became an important piece of the team.
From prospect to Barça star
Although Messi is no longer at Barcelona, Pedri has established himself as one of the most important players in the squad and also for Spain national football team.
His vision, tactical intelligence and ability to control the tempo of matches have turned him into one of the best midfielders in world football.
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