Pedri has become a crucial player for FC Barcelona and Spain, known for his intelligence on the ball and composure under pressure.

What led to Pedri's signing?

Former Barcelona sporting executive Ramon Planes revealed that the club identified Pedri while he was still a youth player at Las Palmas.
The club realized they had to act quickly to secure his signature.
"We broke all the theories of big data," Planes said, emphasizing that Pedri's qualities exceeded every statistical projection available.

The scouting process

Planes recalled that the decisive stage of the scouting process came during two matches played in Marbella, particularly a tribute game for Ruben Castro involving Real Betis and Las Palmas.
Those performances convinced Barcelona's sporting department that waiting any longer would be dangerous.
"We thought that if he started playing in the Segunda Division, we'd already be too late," Planes admitted.

A rapid transfer

Barcelona accelerated negotiations and completed the transfer in just one week, an unusually rapid process for a player who would later become one of the brightest talents of his generation.
The move is widely regarded as one of Barcelona's smartest pieces of business in recent years.

Pedri's ideal role

Planes also weighed in on the long-running debate regarding Pedri's ideal role, particularly with Spain.
For the former Barcelona director, there is little doubt that Pedri's natural position is as an advanced central midfielder, or number eight.
"He should play managing the ball and creating, but close to the penalty area," he said.
Pedri continues to justify the faith shown in him years ago when Barcelona moved swiftly and trusted their eyes over algorithms.
As Planes put it, sometimes talent simply cannot be measured by numbers.
And now, Pedri is once again expected to play a key role in Spain's ambitions at the 2026 World Cup.
But his form and creativity could prove decisive as Luis de la Fuente's team aims for success on the biggest stage.
So, Pedri's journey from a young player at Las Palmas to a star midfielder for FC Barcelona and Spain is a testament to the club's scouting abilities.