€100m Barcelona midfielder tops the charts across Europe’s top five leagues for key statistic | OneFootball

FC Barcelona has seen many of its star players perform at an excellent level this season. For the Catalan giants, this is exactly the kind of display that the club had been wanting. Fortunately for Barcelona, Hansi Flick’s tactics and adjustments have also ended up benefiting the team.

However, it goes without saying that certain players have been more instrumental to the team’s success than others. While many fingers would point towards the extraordinary performances of both Brazilian forward Raphinha and Spanish wonderkid Lamine Yamal, there is another player who essentially runs this team.

Pedri, despite his young age, is seen as the focal point of this Barcelona team. Through his control in midfield and composure on the ball, the Spaniard has become the beating heart of this team. However, beyond just being a technical expert on the ball, the Barcelona star’s involvement even in terms of defensive actions have been immense this season.

As per the statistics provided by WhoScored, Pedri is the leading player across Europe’s top five leagues when it comes to winning possession throughout this ongoing season. So far in this campaign, the Barcelona midfielder has completed a total of 161 ball recoveries for the team.

Interestingly enough, the closest player to his tally is Chelsea’s defensive midfielder Moises Caicedo with 159. However, Caicedo is naturally a much more defensive player than Pedri and his expertise lies in that particular area of the game, whereas the Spanish has only started to properly showcase just how good he is at it as well.

Furthermore, Squawka has also provided additional statistics that highlight just how progressive even Pedri’s defensive actions can be. In terms of winning possession specifically in the midfield third, Pedri is still the player topping the charts for the players across Europe’s top five leagues with 97 ball recoveries.

It is clear enough to see that the €100 million-rated Barcelona midfielder has been exceptionally vital for the team this season. Without him, Flick’s team can often showcase a lack of creativity and progression from the back, but with Pedri having left his injury woes behind him completely, the team looks simply outstanding as well.