Barcelona could end up paying €22m for Pedri

Paul Macdonald

• Updated: 17 May 2021 22:38 BST
• 2 min read

Barcelona’s brightest spark so far this season has been the emergence of 17-year-old Pedri into a key first-team player for the Blaugrana.

In recent years Barcelona’s drastic transfer mismanagement has been well-noted. Huge sums of money wasted on players that have failed to deliver for the club. €450m on Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho alone.

But the initial €6m fee paid to Las Palmas for Pedri’s services looks to be a sublime piece of business in a difficult market. Barca’s scouting team should be lauded for discovering him.

But the team isn’t perhaps as clear-cut as it appeared. The initial fee has been paid but there are a number of add-ons that Pedri should reach and will therefore push the fee higher and higher.

• €4m if he plays 25 matches in any official competition, in which he must play more than 45 minutes for it to count
• €2m if he is called up to the Spanish national side
• €10m in additional contract variables that will be met over time for reaching undisclosed ‘contract milestones’.

All in all the transfer fee could reach €22m, but in reality this is a small fee compared to what has been wasted on higher-profile players who are no longer ahead of him in the pecking order.

Pedri has already started the Clasico against Real Madrid and featured prominently in the Champions League win against Juventus. If he maintains this level of exposure, Barcelona could be obliged to pay Las Palmas another €6m before the season is over.

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