Ronald Koeman interested in bringing Pedri through
The Dutch coach was impressed by the midfielder's mobility and talent
Pedri Gonzalez only needed a quarter of an hour to show he's not just a future option but a player for now, too. The midfielder started for Barca against Nastic, his debut, and he left good sensations. The club expect a lot of him and think he will be an option this season.
Soon after signing for Barca, Ronald Koeman asked for time to see his new players before taking decisions. From day one, he's kept a close eye on the former Las Palmas man. Koeman and his staff have been impressed by his movement and link play.
Pedri explained after the game that Koeman asked him to move behind the opposing midfielders to get the ball in dangerous areas and he did exactly that. He helped set up Ousmane Dembele's goal.
Pedri and the club both know he needs to improve physically and he has a plan for that - not forgetting that he is 17 and his body is still evolving.
"Pedri is a great talent, he's 17 and an important signing for the future, he's training with us and he has the quality to play," said Koeman. It was therefore no surprise to see him lining up alongside Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann, a reward for his good training displays.
In the coming days his shirt number will be chosen.
