2 years ago
According to rumors, FC Barcelona is close to acquiring a player called the "New Pedri." According to ESPN, the Blaugrana have conducted conversations with Las Palmas about signing Alberto Moleiro, who has been compared to Barcelona's Golden Boy and fully-fledged Spain international, Pedri, due to his links to their common home club.
Cash-strapped Barca, which is in debt to the tune of $1.5 billion, has inquired about the cost of a move for the 18-year-old from the Tenerife club and hopes to complete a deal this summer while leaving Moleiro on loan with Las Palmas until 2023.
An agreement of this sort would mirror Pedri's meteoric rise, which began when Barcelona paid a bargain fee of €5 million ($5.35 million) for the then-16-year-old in the summer of 2019 before he officially moved to Catalonia a year later in 2020.
Pedri was tested in the preseason by the manager at the time, Ronald Koeman, and quickly established himself as a first-team regular and one of Europe's most promising young prospects in a sensational first season that saw him named Europe's Golden Boy.
Pedri signed a new contract through 2026 with a record-breaking release clause of €1 billion ($1.16 billion) a month before winning the coveted award in November 2021.
In addition, he has become a staple in Luis Enrique's national squad while wearing the number '10' shirt. The amount of money Barca would have to pay for Moleiro is presently unknown.
However, as a first-team regular in a Las Palmas side that almost missed out on promotion back to La Liga, he may cost more than Pedri did in the start.
Moleiro is defined by ESPN as an attacking midfielder who "has also played wide at times," and many are eager to point out that he has an entirely different profile and playing style than Pedri.
If Barcelona signs him, he will be their second signing of a quality Spanish midfielder in 2022.
Pablo Torre, who was acquired from Racing Santander earlier this year, is on his way to Barcelona's B team, where he, like Pedri, will attempt to impress Koeman's replacement Xavi Hernandez before forcing his way into the main squad when preseason begins on July 4.
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