Barcelona star Pedri reveals that eternal rivals Real Madrid ‘didn’t want to sign’ him as 15-year-old following a trial… as newly-crowned Golden Boy winner looks to restore Catalan giants back to their former glories
- Pedri, 19, has revealed rivals Real Madrid turned him down as a 15-year-old
- His performances earned him the European Golden Boy award last month
- The Spain international is seen as the future of Barcelona under manager Xavi
Barcelona midfielder and Kopy Trophy winner Pedri, has opened up on being rejected by rivals Real Madrid at the start of his career.
The 19-year-old was awarded the Golden Boy award last month, which is given to the best player under the age of 21, following an incredible rise over the past season.
At the age of 15, Pedri was playing for Tenerife-based outfit CF Juventud Laguna, and Real Madrid had spotted his talent and offered him a trial.
Barcelona star Pedri won the 2021 Golden Boy award for his performances last season
The 19-year-old sensation was previously rejected by Real Madrid as 15-year-old
The midfielder has been out of action since September having picked up a muscle injury
But for the interference of bad weather in the Spanish capital, he could have been playing in the colours of Los Blancos, but the trial was cancelled and they never renewed their interest.
‘When I was 15 years old they called me for a trial, but that day there was huge snowfall and it had to be postponed,’ Pedri told Tuttosport.
‘The next day, I took part in some light training with the academy side. Maybe they already had their idea about me, so I went back to Tenerife. However, I would not have rejected Madrid.
‘Opportunities must be seized, however they come. Let’s just say something happened, a combination of negative circumstances, and they were the ones that didn’t want to sign me.’
The Spain international, who arrived at Barcelona from Las Palmas in July 2020, made his debut for the Catalan giants two months later, and has gone on to make 56 appearances so far, 52 of which came last season, the most of any Barca player.
Capped 10-times by Spain, Pedri, who previously became the youngest player to represent his country at a major tournament, helped his side to reach the semi-finals of Euro 2020.
Pedri joined Barcelona from Las Palmas in the summer of 2020 and has been a revelation
He helped Spain earn a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics having lost 2-1 to Brazil in the final
Pedri also finished the competition with more passes completed in the final third (177), than any other player, and helped his national team to a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Manchester United, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have previously been linked with a swoop for his services.
The youngster is happy at the Nou Camp, however, and recently put to pen-to-paper on a new deal in October running until 2026, with a release clause of €1 billion (£850million), ending speculation surrounding his future.
