Pedro González López Pedri (Tegueste, Tenerife, 2002) knows that he is an important footballer who enjoys the affection he receives at the club of his life. But it still doesn't feel essential. Every day he strives to continue fulfilling his goals. If he has to stop for a summer to rest and recover, he does so without objection. When asked about his future after the siren songs coming from Paris and after the outbreak of the Dembélé case, Pedri clarifies in this chat with La Vanguardia that he does not want to hear offers. In fact, he dreams of being captain of Barcelona "when he grows up".
Is Real Madrid winning a sign that things are going well?
We had just lost against Arsenal and it was important to win. Even if it's a pre-season game, a classic is a classic. Although it is too early to draw conclusions, coming out with a good feeling was important to face the season.
You already said that Fermín López would make the difference...
The young people who go up give off a lot of unsymbolism and simplicity. Fermín is one of them. Training surprised me a lot. I know that he is a player who, beyond his quality and talent, really wants to eat the world. He is also a very good person, a very calm guy. I hope you will continue with us.
He has had a very quiet summer without international commitments. How are you?
It has been a different summer. I love being in the field more. But he hadn't rested in a while and he needed it to be fresher. There are times that even if you don't want to, you have to stop for a while, look at how you are doing, mentally disconnect from the routines of a footballer and take care of yourself. I have followed the nutritional guidelines given to me and prepared myself physically.
He has given up eating his mother's croquettes. Have your colleagues tasted them?
No [laughs]. Nobody has tried them because they haven't been to my parents' tavern in Tegueste. But when they come to visit me, maybe I'll ask my mother to make me some.
Was it hard for him to give up playing?
We decided it together. I was aware that I was coming from a time when I have linked many injuries and I wanted to turn a page to be ready. I knew I had to stop and transform the negative energy that comes behind an injury into positive vibes. I've come to the conclusion that you can't play that many games non-stop. You need to rest to avoid injury.
But they say that without Pedri, Barça ceases to be Barça...
I don't think so. We have a good staff. I try to help whenever I can on and off the field. But above all I want to enjoy football. That's when things work best for me.
So it doesn't feel essential?
I feel like an important piece. But I think that no one in the group is essential, we are all there to row together. The collective is what makes the difference.
Has Dembélé already informed them that he is leaving?
Ousmane is a quiet and discreet person who doesn't talk much about this kind of thing. I have personally seen him have fun with the team this pre-season and these years that we have shared. I hope it stays.
How are the new signings adapting?
Gündogan is a spectacle to watch him train. Iñigo Martínez is a shame that he has plantar fasciitis. I hope he can play with us soon because he always seemed to me to be a footballer of a great level. Oriol Romeu had already seen him at Girona. I think he is a very suitable footballer to replace Busquets.
But there are a lot of people in the middle of the field...
I think it's the best thing that could happen to us. Having competition in midfield makes us great. In the end, the Barcelona game goes through there. Having so many people is lucky for Xavi, who has to decide.
How do you handle competition with a player in your same position?
We all have a very good relationship. We know that anyone can play and that individually makes you on your toes. Competition makes us better ourselves and the team.
What has Xavi asked him for this year?
Last year he had to reach ten goals and ten assists. I didn't get it. When I arrived from the holidays, Xavi told me that this year I had to achieve that mark.
Will we see a different Barcelona?
We will not change the typical 4-3-3, but offensively there is some modification with a 3-4-3 in attack. It's one of our favorite formulas. We have a lot of superiority inside and this is very beneficial, because it helps us control the ball and when the team counter-attacks we are more compact at the back.
In a dressing room do you talk about signings and players who can leave?
Things always come up. For example, I am talking about the Las Palmas signings. I always follow them and I have already said that I really want to go to the Canary Islands to play against them, and of course I am very happy to welcome them to Barcelona. I wish them all the luck in the world.
You are a good friend of Ferran Torres. How are you?
Ferran is very calm, he is a very hardworking boy who listens little to what is said outside. He is training with great desire. It will bring us a lot. We don't talk or read about what happens. We are focused on playing.
Have you received tempting offers?
I am calm and focused on the tour. I don't pay attention to what other places say. I just want to prepare for the pre-season and have fun with Barça.
So, does Pedri stay?
Yes. For sure. I am very calm here. Enjoying, focused on the tour and focused on being ready to play.
Apart from PSG, has anyone else come looking for him?
I am not waiting for the offers that come to me. This is what my representatives get. I tell them that if they want to listen, let them do so and they will tell me about it, but that I am focused on what I have to do, which is to train, play and have fun. But many things have to happen for me to leave this club. It should be very bad and very unfortunate. I find it very unlikely, Barça is the club of my dreams and I want to stay there for many more years.
He has a contract until 2026. Will we see him at Blaugrana in 2027 at the new Spotify Camp Nou?
Hopefully. I think it will be an amazing stadium. I personally think that it is a very good project and that you should enjoy it. Not only us, but also the people who come to see us.
And what message does it send to the fans to go to Montjuïc?
That we need them. That they must be with the team in the greens and in the matures. I also tell them that they will enjoy themselves with us. We will go to all of them this season.
Is it respectful that Mbappé goes to Real Madrid?
I don't focus on what comes out, but on those who are there. And at the moment Mbappé is a PSG player. We'll see what happens. But he is clearly a great player.
I Messi a Miami...
Everyone would have liked him to come back. But it was a decision he and the club had to make. I was able to see some of his Inter Miami games and I think that with Busquets and Alba they will enjoy the experience a lot. And the people with them.
They elected captains in Los Angeles. Which captains did you vote for?
I voted for De Jong and Araújo. And they are the ones that came out. They deserved it more than anyone. They have been at the club for many years and I think they show the image that a captain should give.
You too had votes...Would you like to be one?
Who doesn't want to captain their dream team? I know someone voted for me, but I think I'm still too young for that.
Brands don't think alike...
I have a team that helps me a lot. They discuss the options I receive and give me advice. In the end I end up choosing what I like and what makes me feel comfortable. For me it is very important that the people I talk to convey positive things to me, that coincide with my values.
Does it bother you to talk about your private life?
I prefer to separate things and be identified simply with my profession, which is that of a footballer. But I am a public figure. There are many things that transcend. Some are true and some are not. Lying is what I don't like.
What can this team aspire to right now?
We will fight for everything. Last season we managed to win the League and the Spanish Super Cup, but we have the thorn in the Champions League nailed down and that is why resurgence in Europe is our main objective.
