Rodrygo Goes names one Barcelona player he wants at Real Madrid
Real Madrid forward Rodrygo was asked to name one Barcelona player he would want at his club (via Madrid Zone). The Brazilian promptly came up with the name of Pedri.
Pedri is a Las Palmas youth academy product, joining them in 2018, at the young age of 16. He made an instant impact and was promoted to the first team the very next season.
The Spanish midfielder made 37 appearances for Las Palmas, scoring four goals and laying down seven assists in the 2019-20 season. Barcelona were quick to move for the player and had already signed him back in September 2019, with the transfer taking effect from the summer of 2020.
He joined Barca for a total fee of €5 million, initially on a two-year contract. Since making his Barca debut in 2020, Pedri has gone on to make 109 appearances for the club, registering 16 goals and eight assists.
He has also made his Spanish national team debut and is an integral member of La Roja. Pedri, now 20, is considered to be amongst the finest young midfielders in the world and is expected to continue his rise to the top. He has now signed a contract extension with Barcelona, with the new deal holding a release clause of €1 billion.
Rodrygo is clearly impressed with his rival team's young new midfielder and understandably wants him in the team but Real Madrid have a few midfield stars of their own.
Real Madrid's midfield setup is amongst the best in the world right now
To begin with, Real Madrid have two veteran world-class players in Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. They have won numerous titles with club and country and are widely considered amongst the best in the world.
To learn from these veterans, Madrid have a host of young talented midfielders. First there is Federico Valverde, who has already stamped his authority at Real Madrid as a crucial first-team member.
There is also the young French duo of Aurilien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga. They have done well to adjust at the club so far and are quickly learning about the game under the guidance of Kroos and Modric.
Real Madrid's new crown jewel in midfield is the man they signed from Borussia Dortmund for €105m this summer - Jude Bellingham. The Englishman, like Pedri, is considered to be amongst the best young players in the world and is expected to form the axis of the midfield for years to come at the Santiago Bernabeu.