Barcelona has agreed on a contract extension with teenage midfielder Pedri which includes a 1 billion euro release clause.
The 18-year-old will officially sign the deal on Friday which will be in force until the end of June 2026.
Pedri joined the Catalans from Las Palmas in summer 2020 and played 53 games for them last season, the most of any player at the club.
His talent didn’t go unnoticed by Spain manager Luis Enrique who included him in the national squad that reached the Euro 2020 semi-finals.
The youngster played so well which resulted in him being included in Uefa’s team of the tournament.
Pedri was also a key player for the Spain Olympic team that won the silver medal in Tokyo after losing the final to Brazil.
Pedri has made four appearances for Barcelona this season and has been one of the best players for the struggling team that is seventh in La Liga and last in their Champions League group.
The billion-euro release clause seems huge but Pedri is not the only player with such an amount in his contract as Karim Benzema also has a billion euro release clause at Real Madrid.
Pedri is definitely one of the best young talents in the world who gets attention from many clubs which is the reason why Barcelona wants to lock him with the new contract.
He was on trial in Real Madrid as a 16-year-old but didn’t make the team as he was too short and ended up in Las Palmas.
Pedri is seen as a cornerstone of the new Barcelona team who is still in rebuilding process after Messi’s departure and the financial crisis. Ansu Fati and Gavi are next in line for signing long-term deals with Barcelona.
