Barcelona will hold onto midfielder this summer but next season is ‘final exam’

Barcelona looks as if they listen to offers for the majority of their squad this summer, but one player who appears to be safe, barring a surpise, is Pedri. The 21-year-old was at one stage regarded as their cornerstone to build around but has been battling injuries for the past two seasons.

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This summer Barcelona will not look to move him on, as per Cadena Cope, saying that they will try to get him back to his best again next season. They have again altered his training routine, this time to adjust his work at home, and are optimistic about improvements in the last few weeks. However they do categorise the coming season under Hansi Flick as Pedri’s ‘final exam’, that is to say that they may well shop him if he does not produce something like his old self, or put together a season that isn’t defined by injuries.

Since Pedri’s first full campaign, when he played 71 games for club and country, he has struggled for continuity, with constant muscle injuries impacting on him. This season he played 34 matches for Barcelona, scoring four times and giving five assists, but the sense was that he only showed glimpses of his ability.