Mel tells how he recommended the signing of Pedri to Betis and Real Madrid

Pepper Mel He was the coach who made his debut Pedri in the UD Las Palmas first team, in August 2019, when he was just 17 years old. Before starting that season, Pedri played at the Benito Villamarín in the tribute match to Rubén Castro, a visit that Mel took advantage of to recommend to the Betis leaders -he also did it with those of Real Madrid, another of his former teams- the signing of the young canarian pearl, who already showed great ways –alexis trujillo had excellent references of him-, although it was finally FC Barcelona who put more interest, and money, to get the services of the footballer, who continued to play for a year on loan at the Canarian club.

“Pedri He was able to go everywhere. It is true that the sports director of Las Palmas spoke with Milan and with Barça. I was obliged to speak with the president of my club, Real Betis, and with the one who raised me, Real Madrid. Of all of them the one who had faith was Barça. He was a footballer who had had zero minutes in professional football, “says Mel in an interview with El Desmarque.

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That summer of 2019, Betis transferred players like Lo Celso, Junior or Pau López and signed others such as Fekir, Borja Iglesias, Álex Moreno or Juanmi: “Betis was involved in other signings, I understand that it was a difficult moment for them. They were with the departure of Lo Celso, the signings of Borja Iglesias and Álex Moreno. In the tribute to Rubén Castro I spoke with Josemi (López Catalán) and Ángel (Haro), and I told them that this footballer was going to be a crack. They told me that signing a footballer that we don’t know and that we don’t know… is difficult. They didn’t see it and there’s no more to talk about. I understand the moment from Betis, who were in the process of signing people… It was at that time”, added Pepe Mel.

Real Betis, through Alexis -then responsible for the sports management after Serra’s departure-, made contact with Pedri’s agents those days, who are the same as Alfonso Pedraza, who played that 2019/20 campaign on loan at the Real Betis for Villarreal, but by then FC Barcelona was already betting firmly on the young player from the Canary Islands, who finally signed for Barça in exchange for 5 million euros and a series of variables, which the president of Las Palmas, Miguel Ángel Ramírez, can exceed 30 million euros if all are met.