Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger snubbed Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal when naming the player who puts him ‘on his knees’ in this year’s Champions League.
Wenger, 75, is no stranger to top-class talent, having coached the likes of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Viera during his trophy-laden managerial career.
These days, Wenger is often part of the media and is currently serving as FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, but has been vocal about his desire to develop young talent throughout his career.
The Frenchman has even previously cited three stages of progress that fledgling footballers must go through.
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"It's very simple, you build a player like you build a house,” Wenger said previously. “First comes the basement, the base of a player is technique.
"You get that between the ages of 7 and 14. If you have no technical skill at 14, forget it. You will never be a football player.
"The second part is the physical aspect, the first floor. Unfortunately, that is decided between 14–17 years of age, where you feel you'll be strong enough, quick enough.
"The second floor is tactical understanding. Does he have an understanding of the game? What to do with the ball? The final part that is decided at 18–19 years of age is how successful the player wants to be."
And based on Wenger’s assessment, it is safe to say Yamal is more than likely to go on and have a successful career.
But it was another Barca starlet who Wenger described as “absolutely unbelievable” when speaking on beIN Sports on Tuesday (May 6).
Wenger said: “We speak only about Yamal now. But I would highlight Pedri.
"For me, Pedri is absolutely unbelievable! He puts me on my knees because the science of a midfielder is in Pedri's legs and brain, and everything he does is unbelievable, so I want to see him tonight in a decisive game."
The Spanish midfielder has struggled with injuries during his career, but has managed to stay fit and become part of an exciting young Barca side under the guidance of head coach Hansi Flick this term.
And Wenger is not Pedri's only admirer as former Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Germany legend Toni Kroos even explained how he is Barca's most important player.
"For me, a player like Pedri is more important than Lamine Yamal, Raphinha or Lewandowski," Kroos said on Einfach mal Luppen.
"They may decide the results of matches, but to do that, Pedri is currently the best player in the world in his position.
"He's a player you will miss when he's not playing, whoever you are playing against. He doesn't just score goals or provide assists, he offers solutions."
Topics: Arsene Wenger, Pedri, Barcelona, Champions League, Football, Lamine Yamal, FIFA
Luke Davies