Lamine Yamal‘s offensive talent has led to the young Barcelona forward being compared to great and prominent players, but also to his own teammates.
Now, former Arsenal and Spanish national team player Santi Cazorla has sparked discussion by revealing the reasons behind his preference for Pedri González, one of Barça’s midfield stars, over Lamine.
Cazorla prefers Pedri over Yamal
The two-time European champion had already shown his admiration for the 23-year-old midfielder after the 3-1 comeback victory in September against his team, Real Oviedo, where Pedri left him speechless. After the match, he shared a post on Instagram asking him: “Can u give me ur shirt, genius?”
This gesture was a prelude to his recent comments to Sport, where he was asked about his admiration for González and his curious Instagram request: “He’s already one of the best in the world at that age. He’s a different kind of player, one we all enjoy every time he plays,” Cazorla began.
“I think Barcelona really misses him when Pedri isn’t there. They have some fantastic players in that position, but I think Pedri gives the team a different touch, and above all, he seems like a very, very down-to-earth, very normal guy, and I really like that. I think the more normal someone is, the better player they are. I have a huge crush on Pedri, and that’s why I asked him for his shirt,” revealed the 41-year-old player.
Since his debut with Barça, Pedri has stood out as one of the midfielders with the most progressive passes and key passes in Europe’s top leagues and with his national team. This season, he has two goals and 10 assists in 30 games in the Blaugrana jersey and is one of the team’s undisputed leaders.
Another player who has undoubtedly caught everyone’s attention is his teammate Lamine Yamal. The young forward has established himself as a valuable asset in Hansi Flick’s squad, tallying 46 goals and 50 assists in 146 matches played to date across all competitions with Barcelona.
However, although Cazorla didn’t deny his talent, there are other reasons why he admires him so much and why he leans toward Pedri:
“Well, yes, because of the position he plays. It’s the position I’ve always played. I love watching Lamine; he’s a unique and exceptional player in that position, but since I’ve played a bit in Pedri’s position, I have a bit more admiration for him for that reason, not for any other.”
In addition, Santi Cazorla revealed that throughout his career, Lamine and Pedri’s club “always appealed to him, but it never worked out.”
Meanwhile, González and Yamal will stay busy. Following the first friendly against Serbia (3-0), the Spain National Team is scheduled to face Egypt on Tuesday, the 31st, at the RCDE Stadium.
Then, with Barcelona, they will face Atlético de Madrid at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium on April 4 for LaLiga Matchday 30. On the 8th, they will face Atlético de Madrid again, but at the Spotify Camp Nou for the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.
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