"Surprised with his quality and humility" - Ferran Torres tips Barcelona star to become the best player in world football
Barcelona winger Ferran Torres believes teammate Pedri Gonzalez can become the best player in the world in the future.
Pedri has grabbed plenty of headlines since becoming a starter for the Blaugrana and the Spanish national team last season. He helped his club win the Copa del Rey title while also playing a key role in La Roja's run to the semifinals of UEFA Euro 2020. Pedri also won the silver medal with Spain at the Tokyo Olympics last summer.
The 19-year-old has taken his game up by a notch this season and has flourished under new Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez. In addition to his creativity and control, Pedri has also become a goal threat.
His performances have also seen fans and pundits around the world sit up and take notice. Pedri has scored a couple of stunning goals over the last few weeks, first against Galatasaray in the UEFA Europa League and then against Sevilla in La Liga. He left multiple defenders in his wake for both finishes.
Speaking ahead of the Catalans' Europa League clash against Eintracht Frankfurt, Torres said (as quoted by Barca Universal):
“We train with him everyday and we are surprised with his quality and humility. He can surely be the best player in the world in the future.”
"We're not surprised"
— @FerranTorres20 on the play of his friend and teammate, @Pedri https://t.co/hE7ix7ICvT
Pedri and Ferran Torres will be key for Barcelona against Eintracht Frankfurt
The Europa League remains Barcelona's only hope of lifting silverware this season. They exited the Copa del Rey in the Round of 16 back in January and are 12 points behind Real Madrid in La Liga with a game in hand.
Xavi's side have impressed in the Europa League so far, winning ties against Napoli and Galatasaray to make it into the quarterfinals. They will take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their last-eight clash tonight (7 April) at Deutsche Bank Park.
Pedri and Ferran Torres have contributed to four of Barcelona's seven goals in the competition so far and will once again be key to their hopes. While the former has scored once in four Europa League matches, the latter has a goal and two assists in as many games.
𝗠 𝗔 𝗧 𝗖 𝗛 𝗗 𝗔 𝗬
#EintrachtBarça https://t.co/1s8TeJUXo4
The Catalans will want to take a solid first-leg lead back to the Camp Nou for the second leg on 14 April. They are currently unbeaten in 13 matches across all competitions and will enter this game with plenty of confidence.