Barcelona star Pedri admits rejection by Real Madrid resulted in a dream move to his current club

Barcelona star Pedri has thanked Real Madrid for rejecting him, admitting that it pushed him to work harder. Pedri has been a revelation at Barcelona this season, and the teenager has expressed his gratitude to arch-rivals Real Madrid for making his dream move a reality.

Pedri joined Barcelona from Las Palmas this summer for €5 million, a fee which could prove to be a bargain given his start at the club. The 17-year-old has been everpresent in the Barcelona team, featuring in 10 games in all competitions and scoring two goals. The midfielder has combined well with fellow teenager Ansu Fati at Barcelona.

Ansu Fati has combined well with Pedri.

They told me I wasn't good enough: Pedri admits being angry about Real Madrid rejection

Pedri has admitted that all this would not have been possible without Real Madrid rejecting him in the first place.

"I was on trial for a week at Madrid, they told me I wasn’t good enough. They took me to an office and they told me. I was a bit angry but it helped to keep me working and improving. Thanks to them, I’m at the team I always wanted to be at. Since I was little, I’ve been a Barca fan," said Pedri.

Pedri: "I had a test at Real Madrid, but they told me I didn't have the required level. I thank the one who made that decision, now I am at the club that I have always loved." [cadena ser] pic.twitter.com/b8XKaWFkTW

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) November 16, 2020

Real Madrid's loss certainly has been Barcelona's gain. Los Blancos have signed some talented Spanish youngsters in the past, including Isco, Marco Asensio, Asier Illaramendi, Dani Ceballos and a certain Sergio Ramos.

Barcelona, however, have a prodigious talent on their hands in Pedri. The Spaniard has impressed in a Barcelona side featuring players like Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann. He has played in important matches and has earned the trust of manager Ronald Koeman.

🗣️ — Koeman: "Pedri surprised me the most. I knew Barcelona had signed him, but I didn't expect him to develop like the way he has." pic.twitter.com/pPgNtteSci

— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) November 11, 2020

The Catalan club have a good crop of talented youngsters at their disposal at the moment. Apart from Fati and Pedri, centre-back Ronald Araujo, midfielder Riqui Puig, winger Francisco Trincao and full-back Sergino Dest have all performed well when called upon to do so.

Midfielder Ilaix Moriba and winger Konrad de la Fuente are also seen as players who have a bright future in the game. With Fati having already made his debut for the Spanish national team, Pedri's performances could soon result in an international call-up.

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