Pedri sends teasing message to Real Madrid star about joining Barcelona
By Tom Gott
Barcelona midfielder Pedri has sent a message to Real Madrid's Marco Asensio, telling his Spain teammate that 'all good players have to be at Barcelona'.
Asensio is out of contract at the end of the season and, although he has stressed his desire to sign an extension, he has publicly flirted with a move to Barcelona - comments he later claimed were 'misinterpreted'.
With a new contract yet to land on his table, Asensio continues to be linked with a free transfer to Barcelona. While Pedri did not want to make a direct plea to Asensio, he could not resist sending a clear message to his Spain teammate.
“He has a lot of quality, let’s see what happens with his contract but all good players have to be at Barça," Pedri told COPE when asked about Asensio.
"Let’s see what happens with his contract but he has plenty of qualities. It is a decision that he has to make."
Asensio had previously refused to rule out making the move across the Clasico divide but publicly changed his tune in a recent interview, in which he insisted he wants to remain in Madrid for a little whole longer.
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“Hopefully it can happen and I’ll be very happy at Real Madrid for many years, hopefully everything will be given to stay for ten more years," he told Marca.
After beginning the season on the bench, Asensio has become a regular squad player for Carlo Ancelotti, featuring 15 times in all competitions and chipping in with three goals and three assists for good measure.