He looks like Pedri, he plays like Pedri and, having risen through the ranks at Las Palmas like Barcelona’s silky Spain international, comparisons between Alberto Moleiro and the playmaking prince of the Camp Nou were as inevitable as a Robert Lewandowski tap in.
“Little Alberto Moleiro plays at an incredible level for his age,” Las Palmas team-mate Nuke Mfulu told Tinta Amarilla last year. “He told me he was just 17 years old. He’s awesome.”
If the Segunda outfit thought Pedri was a once-in-a-generation talent, then they didn’t account for the emergence of Moleiro.
Is Alberto Moleiro really the second coming of Pedri?
Pedri, before joining Barcelona in what will surely go down as one of the best pound-for-pound signings of the last decade, rebuffed Liverpool’s advances (Mundo Deportivo). Ditto Real Madrid, Atletico, Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund.
Whether history repeats itself – with AS reporting that both clubs are once again locked in a battle to sign a baby-faced Spaniard hailing from the Canary Islands – remains to be seen.
Liverpool, the report says, are compiling reports on 19-year-old Moleiro. They have watched him intently at the Estadio Gran Canaria. Jurgen Klopp is apparently a big admirer too; potentially with an eye on a future midfield trio consisting of Moleiro, Harvey Elliot and Fabio Carvalho.
The Spain U21 international has a £26 million release clause in his contract.
Liverpool vs Barcelona; round two
“Pedri is a player who dictates the tempo of the game and ensures that possession is not lost,” explains former Las Palmas coach Pepe Mel, highlighting the subtle differences that exist between Moleiro and Barcelona’s diminutive number eight.
“On the other hand, Moleiro always looks to get forward and engage the opposition’s defence. Moleiro creates the chances, but Pedri is in charge of starting the moves off.”
Moleiro, Goal adds, is a boyhood Barcelona target. But while Pedri’s emergence as one of Europe’s finest young midfielders at the Camp Nou may be seen as justification for Moleiro deciding to follow in his footsteps, it could also work the other way.
Would Moleiro really be better off at a Barca side already boasting a player of Pedri’s talent and longevity in his position? Moleiro would also have Gavi and Pablo Torre to contend with at the Camp Nou.
Liverpool, in contrast, feel like a team in transition; one stuck between the past and the future. Moleiro, alongside Elliott and Carvalho, could help Klopp construct a new dynasty out of the rubble of the old one. Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all either the wrong side of 30 or heading out the door in the near future.
‘Magic’
Liverpool vs Barcelona, round two, promises to be a closely-fought bout. This time, the men from Merseyside will be hoping to use the allure of regular first-team football as they look to land a knockout blow.
“He has magic. He’s (playing at) an excellent level,” says Las Palmas’ former Barca B coach Garcia Pimienta (AS). “He has a very high ceiling.
“(Can he go to) Barcelona? I would like to think so. I think he is clearly (a player of) Barca’s profile.”
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