Arsenal: 4 Barcelona players to target amid financial mess

4. Pedri – Attacking Midfield

We can list Pedri either as an attacking midfielder, a winger or as a left-sided No. 8. It really doesn’t matter. Wherever he plays the viewer is transported ten years into the future; it is not normal for someone his age to be this mature on a football pitch.

Pedri is a special, special talent.

All those tuning in to the European Championships will have got a taster for what he produces on a weekly basis for Ronald Koeman.

With ten goal contributions for Barcelona last season, the Spaniard’s stock continues to rise. He is another one who isn’t anywhere near the top earners list at Nou Camp but has one year left on his deal (with the option of further) and as the club scramble together ways to both raise funding to register players and the funds needed to afford another astronomical Lionel Messi contract, stranger things have happened.

It would be expensive and otherworldly (so impossible) were Arsenal to pull this off but if you don’t buy a ticket you will not win the raffle.

Should Arsenal win said raffle then they’ll get their hands on someone set to be one of the best Spanish footballers for more than a decade.

Pedri blends silkiness, intelligence, instinct and confidence into a mesmeric package. He can pick a pass, carry the ball with elegance, shoot with either foot and run. He sure runs. He’s 99th percentile for pressures in the final third, 97th percentile for progressive passes received and 99th percentile for passes blocked. His ball retention is on another planet.

Just do it. Test the waters. Throw this financially crippled dog a bone and see how hungry he is. Why not. Going to win all the Ballon d’Or’s. People can dream and Barcelona are very silly.