Ramón Planes Details Internal Skepticism Over Pedri Signing

FC Barcelona midfielder Pedri has established himself as a central pillar of the Catalan club, recording 29 goals and 35 assists across 255 appearances. At 23 years old, the Spanish international is widely regarded as one of the top midfielders in Europe, yet his arrival at the club in 2019 met significant internal skepticism according to former club director Ramón Planes.

Sport.fr reported that while the club secured the player from Las Palmas for €5 million, the investment sparked disagreements among various people within the club. Planes, who worked as an executive at Barcelona between 2018 and 2021, shared the details of the contentious transfer during an appearance on the Zona Mixta podcast, as covered by Foot Mercato.

Pushback and Skepticism Over the €5 Million Outlay

When Barcelona finalized the agreement to bring the teenager from Las Palmas in 2019, multiple staff members questioned the financial outlay. Planes revealed that he faced direct pushback from colleagues who struggled to justify spending €5 million on a 16-year-old player with barely any experience in Spain’s second division.

According to Foot Mercato, Planes explained that the friction did not originate from the upper board of directors, but rather from other operational sectors within the organization. Skeptics pointed to the club’s proud tradition of developing elite midfielders through La Masia as a reason to question the necessity of an external purchase for an unproven youngster.

When I was at Barça, I had a very hard time getting Pedri’s transfer through. Many people within the club did not understand this operation. Paying five million euros for a 16-year-old player who had practically not played a minute in the second division seemed crazy, especially since the club had an excellent training center.

Ramón Planes

Mobile Messages and Standing Firm Amid Doubt

Planes recounted receiving direct messages on his mobile phone from coworkers questioning the expenditure. Despite the wave of internal doubt, the former executive maintained his position and pushed the deal across the finish line.

The Aftermath of Success in Football Recruitment

Foot Mercato noted that Planes observed a familiar pattern in football recruitment once the player proved to be good. The former director pointed out that early critics often change their tune after a signing proves successful, frequently claiming personal credit for the discovery.

I also must specify that these doubts did not come from the management, but from other sectors. I received messages on my mobile phone from people asking me why I was spending this money. But they saw that I was convinced and they ended up accepting it. Barça has a very strong tradition of training, especially midfielders, and many considered the recruitment of Pedri to be madness. When a player turns out to be good, everyone then says that it was they who recruited him.

Ramón Planes