Bad news for coach Xavi Hernández, Barcelona's $1 billion star targeted by Arsenal

For years Barcelona have had serious financial problems that have prevented them from having the top level teams they used to have in the past. That is why they had to let Lionel Messi go to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and could not bring him back in 2023, in addition to losing other stars such as Luis Suarez, Ousmane Dembélé and Samuel Umtiti.

Those difficulties are also seen in recruiting. During the last few transfer windows, the club's chiefs have had to agree to bring in players on loan (such as Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo) or as free agents (Ilkay Gundogan and Iñigo Martinez), as they don't have much money to spend. And this year they could only sign Vitor Roque because of Gavi's injury, which enabled an exception to the financial fair-play limitations.

With this scenario, one solution for Barcelona is to sell players and thus reduce the wage bill. That is why they let some players go last summer and want to sell others as soon as possible, such as Clement Lenglet, Sergiño Dest and Nico Gonzalez. However, there are others who have no intention of selling and whose departures would be terrible news for coach Xavi Hernandez.

One of them is Pedri. The midfielder is one of the most promising young players in the world and a key player for the manager. But his performances did not go unnoticed by other clubs, for example Arsenal. According to Caught Off Side, the Gunners are looking for a player in that position and have targeted the Spaniard, although they will have to compete with other giants such as Manchester City.

How much is he worth?

Reports indicate that Arsenal are willing to pay more than $100 million for Pedri. However, that figure seems insufficient for Barcelona to let him go. In fact, the 21-year-old midfielder's exit clause is $1 billion, although it is clear that no club will be willing to pay that amount.