Pedri speaks about Sergio Busquets' future at Barcelona

Pedri has spoken about the future of Barcelona and Spain teammate Sergio Busquets, saying he hopes the veteran midfielder stays at Barca for 'many years'.

Busquets has been a lynchpin of both Barcelona and Spain for well over a decade now and has become renowned as one of the greatest deep-lying playmakers in history.

However, Barcelona's recent struggles in European football and Spain's disappointing display at the 2022 World Cup has led many to suggest the Catalan might be past his best.

At just 20 years of age, Pedri is part of the new generation expected to take the baton from the likes of Busquets when they eventually retire. But while the young midfielder's stock continues to rise, he has come to the defence of his veteran teammate and claimed his work often goes unappreciated.

"Busquets is a key player and I'm delighted to play with him. Sometimes people don't see his work but, when he's not there, we notice it. I hope he stays a lot longer at Barcelona," Pedri told Marca.

Busquets' contract at Camp Nou expires in June 2023.

Pedri also commented on the success of his former teammate Lionel Messi, who captained Argentina to glory at the World Cup with seven goals and three assists.

"I always said that if we didn't have the opportunity to win the World Cup ourselves, I wanted Argentina to take it for Leo, who has been with me and I think he deserves it," Pedri admitted.

Pedri and Spain were eliminated by Morocco in the World Cup's first knockout round, earning criticism for their risk-averse passing football which failed to generate clear-cut chances.

Head coach Luis Enrique has since left the national team setup, with former Under-21 coach Luis de la Fuente already promoted to the senior role.