“He has a brutal present and future” – Xavi salutes ‘extraordinary’ achievement from ‘very young’ Barcelona star
Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez has hailed youngster Pedri for his extraordinary achievement of reaching 100 career games for the Blaugrana by the age of 20. The manager spoke words of praise about the midfielder in his press conference ahead of their La Liga clash against Girona at the weekend.
Speaking to reporters (via Mundo Deportivo), Xavi said:
"The numbers are extraordinary. He has a brutal present and future. And not only him. We have a very young and very good generation of footballers. Pedri is one of them, I have seen his talent in few players."
If Pedri plays against Girona, it would be his 100th game for Barcelona. https://t.co/nx7YMG1H9V
However, the manager did not reveal any information regarding Pedri's potential injury following their victory over Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey. The win brings them one step closer to claiming another trophy, however, it also brings with it a cause for worry as midfield mainstay Pedri was injured during the second half.
Pedri has played 77 fewer games with his current club 😮 https://t.co/6jZark8X8G
With less than 15 minutes left in the match, the 20-year-old seemed to have sustained an injury and limped off the field, with Franck Kessie replacing him.
Taking into consideration the tight fixture schedule ahead, Barcelona will be hoping that the midfielder's injury isn't cause for too much concern.
Pedri has appeared in 24 matches across all competitions this season, netting five goals. The former Las Palmas starlet also found the back of the net for Barca in their last La Liga match against Getafe.
Liverpool have their eyes on Barcelona starlet
According to El Nacional (via Sportbible), Liverpool are carefully monitoring the situation surrounding young Spanish midfielder Gavi following Barcelona's inability to register him for La Liga. This is due to their failure to comply with financial fair play regulations in Spain, and they potentially face the prospect of losing the talented starlet.
Gavi has cemented himself as one of the best young midfielders in the world and has been one of Blaugrana's most prized assets since his arrival at the Camp Nou.
Jurgen Klopp's side have however been severely lacking in the midfield department this season. They look to get even leaner in that department with imminent departures for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita expected in the summer.
Liverpool have therefore been linked with a host of potential midfield reinforcements recently, with targets ranging from Jude Bellingham to Enzo Fernandez. Gavi, who is another supremely talented midfielder, has also reportedly been a target for the Reds.
Spanish news outlet Nacional has even claimed that Klopp is crazy about the midfielder and has asked that the club begin talks with him before he officially becomes available. It remains to be seen if Barcelona will be able to handle the registration issue for the talented midfielder in the coming weeks.