Rocco Maiorino has told TuttoMercatoWEB that Liverpool target Pedri will be amongst the greats after shining for Barcelona and Spain.
The former AC Milan Sporting Director oversaw Pedri’s development while in charge at Las Palmas, before he sealed a potential £20m move to the Camp Nou in 2019. Although Pedri remained at the Estadio Gran Canaria for a further year on loan, thriving in a makeshift role.
It did not take Pedri long to establish a place for himself at Barcelona when he eventually arrived in Catalunya last year. The midfielder featured in 37 La Liga fixtures under Ronald Koeman, starting 28 and only sitting out the final game of the 2020/21 campaign.
Liverpool, it seems, hope Pedri’s Barcelona record stops there, having contacted his agent to express their interest, per the Mirror. The Spaniard has entered the last year of his deal, but Barca want to hand him new terms that raises his release clause from £70m to £350m.
Either fee may be more than Liverpool want to pay, but Maiorino believes the future is very bright for Pedri.
“He will be among the greatest – for him, football is joy,” Maiorino said. “He’s shy but sunny, easy-going, funny. But he’s still a kid, even if he’s a veteran on the pitch.
“For me, he has always been an attacking mezzala. He played with us as a winger, but he was not a winger, but one who came inside to play. The coach did it to make him coexist with Jonathan Viera. This role, which he has at Barcelona and in the national team, is his congenial one. He likes to define rather than conclude.”
Liverpool could sign a rising star in Maiorino’s golden boy Pedri
Liverpool could sign a real gem if Jurgen Klopp digs deep enough to temp Barcelona for Maiorino’s golden boy Pedri. The nine-cap maestro has been one of the stars of Euro 2020 for Spain, starting all five games ahead of Tuesday’s semi-final clash with Italy.
Pedri has been excellent in moving the ball around the park and works himself into the ground winning it back. He has also shown immense vision under Luis Enrique, playing defence-splitting passes as a central cog for his country.
The £34,000-per-week talent is yet to see his creativity rewarded with an assist, however. But adding a second to his career international tally in the semi-final would go a long way to show Liverpool why Pedri is worth the exorbitant cost, and why Barcelona want him to stay.
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