Pedri is back and a source of hope for Barca heading into the New Year

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The midfielder will be key if Barcelona is to win trophies in 2025

Let’s not kid ourselves as Barcelona fans. The future of the club is still up in the air.

The Dani Olmo registration fiasco is more evidence that the Blaugrana are not yet out of the woods financially. And that means there will continue to be limited resources and options to strengthen the team on the market. Ironically, Olmo was the only “big name signing” over the summer.

Hansi Flick has been incredible because he has done so much, while asking for so little. Instead of complaining fatalistically that Barcelona is what it is at the moment, he went to the academy, and used his eye for talent to start building a foundation for the future.

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The results to start the season were astonishing, and beyond what anyone could have hoped for. This has to be a joke, I thought over the summer, is he really going to start Marc Casado and Marc Bernal? He did, and along with other La Masia products, he has Barcelona in a fighting position in La Liga, and in the top eight of the Champions League.

But at some point, something has to give, and it did.

A few injuries to key players, and the results all of a sudden were hard to come by.

Going into the new year, Flick needs his most experienced players to step up, and lead the team with consistent performances on the field, and to find ways to pull out victories with moments of quality that can’t be taught.

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Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal will be essential. But in order for them to get going, they will need midfielders who can push the tempo and create chances for them.

Pedri has been that player this season. And his comeback to top form leaves me feeling positive that Barcelona will compete for everything in the new year, and that they have their best piece back to build around for the long-term future.

Seeing him get injured at the Euros of the summer led me to wonder if we’ll ever see the best of the Canarian again.

Now, with Flick moving him to play mostly as a defensive midfielder in a double pivot, I wonder if the coach unlocked the secret to his young maestro’s longevity.

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Pedri, of course, would be effective as the ten. But from there, he also puts himself in a role that requires more running, and when playing with the ball, invites contact.

In the deeper role, we’re seeing a player who can play with his head up, and pick passes all day long. In addition, he is a big help when the team builds from the back as the first line of penetration into the midfield.

The Barca forwards have struggled to score lately, but it’s not because they haven’t had their chances. Most of those opportunities are coming from Pedri, who is single-handedly trying to will his team forward.

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Against Atletico Madrid, he even took matters into his own hands with an impressive drive into the box that created the opening goal.

Of course, all of this comes with a caveat. Pedri does have a concerning injury record.

That’s why this season of reinvention has been so intriguing, and hopeful.

Barcelona needs midfielders they can build around as they carve a path forward.

Gavi and Frenkie de Jong are question marks at the moment.

But Pedri is back, and proving once again, that he may very well be the best midfielder in the world.

Barcelona should be very grateful for the good news. And they should come up with a plan to protect their prized asset.

Source: barcablaugranes.com