Pedri is quietly rewriting the narrative around his goalscoring ability, and his latest milestone has produced a fascinating comparison with one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, Toni Kroos.
The Barcelona midfielder has now moved ahead of Kroos in LaLiga goals, despite needing 137 fewer appearances to reach the mark.
That statistic is particularly striking because Kroos was never known primarily for scoring goals. His greatest strengths were his passing range, composure, game control and ability to dictate matches from midfield. Pedri, meanwhile, has increasingly added another dimension to his game by making more dangerous runs into the final third and arriving in scoring positions.
His latest goal against Valencia was another example.
Barcelona produced a ruthless 5-0 victory, with Pedri getting on the scoresheet as Hansi Flick’s side continued their perfect start to the LaLiga campaign. The result made it four wins from four for Barça, who have already scored 17 goals in the league.
Pedri’s development is becoming increasingly exciting.
At just 23, he is already an established figure in Barcelona’s midfield, but his attacking numbers suggest there could still be another level to his game. If he can combine his elite playmaking with a more consistent goalscoring threat, defenders will have an even bigger problem on their hands.
Kroos set an incredible standard for midfield excellence.
Pedri is now showing that he can build his own legacy.
