No problems expected as Pedri negotiates a new contract with Barcelona

Amid the doom and gloom that has hovered over Barcelona and the Camp Nou in recent months, there are some reasons for optimism and Pedri is one of them. The 18-year-old is already a star and he is set to sign a new contract with the Catalan club that will reflect his world-class status.

At Euro 2020, the Canary Islander won the Young Player of the Tournament award, but Barcelona fans knew long before then just how special he was. At the club, they’ve known for some time that the midfielder is a difference maker, which is why they moved to sign him as a 16-year-old from Las Palmas.

That transfer was agreed in 2019, before Pedri spent 2019/20 back on loan with his boyhood club Las Palmas. Then, ahead of the 2020/21 campaign, he moved to Barcelona and hit the ground running, becoming a starter for Ronald Koeman and playing in the first 37 league games of the season, before finally being given a brief rest in the final matchday.

Now, with Pedri’s current salary far below what his level of play should command, Barcelona and the player’s agent Hector Peris are preparing to hold talks.

Pedri’s current contract runs until the summer of 2022, but Barcelona have a unilateral option to extend the deal for a further two years. It’s unlikely that the Blaugrana will reach that point, though, as an amicable long-term deal should be agreed between both parties before next summer.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Pedri is happy at the Camp Nou and will make life easy for Barcelona. This won’t be a repeat of the Ilaix Moriba situation, where the La Masia graduate ended up leaving the club because he held out for too much money. In the case of Pedri, he expects a salary increase, but is prepared to accept whatever contractual structure suits Barcelona, so long as it is a reasonable demand.

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There is no rush when it comes to Pedri and his new deal, as the current contract runs to the summer of 2022 with an out-of-reach release clause of 400m euros. Then, Barca also have the option to unilaterally extend the arrangement if they need more time.

But, a new contract for Pedri should be organised and signed well before next summer. The player’s agent will speak to the club over the coming weeks and months, before the piece of much-needed good news can be announced to the Barcelona fanbase.

At the same time, the club are working on renewing Ansu Fati’s contract. The young forward is in a similar situation to Pedri as his deal also runs to 2022 but with a clause that allows the club to extend it. Jorge Mendes is Ansu Fati’s agent and there could be some bumps in that road, but the Pedri process is expected to be as smooth as one of the midfielder’s passes.