Sporting director reveals Barcelona negotiations for Alexander Isak

Barcelona have had to be smart in the transfer market over the last five years due to their well-documented financial problems. Signing players ahead of the curve is essential, and that’s exactly that they did with Pedri.

The midfielder, who has developed into one of the world’s best in his position, was signed in 2020 as a 17-year-old. It was a risk taken at the time, but it was one that has certainly paid off. And it was made by then-sporting director Ramon Planes, who spoke on the Spain international during an interview with Sport.

“I was told about a young player at Las Palmas whose level was head and shoulders above the rest of his teammates. We watched him for three matches and it was enough – we knew. We decided to sign him, even though we rarely go for players that young. That player was Pedri. My team and I simply trusted our gut.”

Planes, who was at Barcelona between 2018 and 2021, also revealed that Alexander Isak, who is currently being pursued by Liverpool as part of a deal with Newcastle United that would cost well in excess of €120m, could have made the move to the Spotify Camp Nou when he was still at Real Sociedad.

“We had been trying to find a replacement in such a difficult position for a long time. Now I find it funny when they talk about Isak, who is in some negotiation and with a very important offer from Liverpool. A player with whom we were talking with his agent. He was at La Real and our idea was to look for a replacement for Luis (Suarez), in that he would be a squad player at first before becoming a regular starter.

“This process of change was natural, but well, it couldn’t be, but I do think it’s key in clubs to know that players can leave at the right time and that the entry of the new generations is in a clean way.”