Barcelona are set to enter the market for another creative midfielder in the summer according to reports, having found it tricky to perform at their best in the absence of Pedri.
The 20-year-old’s recent injury-enforced absence has coincided with back-to-back defeats for the Blaugrana, with the team looking devoid of any creative influence, especially in the last game against UD Almeria.
So, manager Xavi will likely seek another midfielder of a similar profile to Pedri in the summer. And, according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona continue to retain an interest in Spanish youngster Alberto Moleiro.
The 19-year-old plays for Las Palmas, the same club from where Barcelona signed Pedri back in 2019. The young attacking midfielder has been in good nick over the past couple of campaigns and has played a key role in the Canary Islands outfit’s ascent to the top of the La Liga 2 table.
In 28 appearances in the league, Moleiro has registered as many as eight assists.
Barcelona have had the teenager on their radar for a while now, with his creativity, technical ability and ball control attracting a lot of attention.
The Blaugrana could have signed him last year for a fee of around €10 million (fixed) plus €15 million in variables. However, they deemed the valuation to be too high and passed up on the opportunity.
While they continue to hold an interest in Moleiro, signing him now could be much more tricky as he signed a new contract with Las Palmas until 2026.
The deal includes a release clause worth €30 million, which will rise to €60 million if the club achieve promotion to La Liga – a prospect that is looking very likely.
Barcelona’s economic conditions prevent them from paying the €30 million to sign him up and it will only get more challenging if Las Palmas are promoted and the clause doubles up.
