Hansi Flick helps unlock a more complete version of €100m Barcelona star | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have started off this new year in the best way possible, and they look to have left most of their worries back in 2024. With the likes of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor registered, the Catalan giants could finally focus more on what happens on the pitch. Evidently, Barcelona managed to showcase that focus in the last few games.

All four matches so far in 2025 have ended in victories for Barcelona, with the likes of UD Barbastro, Athletic Club, Real Madrid, and now Real Betis all suffering at the hands of Hansi Flick’s team. Moreover, with the Spanish Super Cup now being won as well, after La Blaugrana completely decimated Los Blancos in Saudi Arabia, Barça can finally breathe a sigh of relief after a tough end to the last year.

However, while many players have surely improved and the team is now reaping the rewards of that improvement, there is one particular player who has evolved into something else entirely throughout the season. That player would be none other than 22-year-old Spanish midfielder Pedri, who has essentially unlocked and developed new strengths altogether.

Beyond just overcoming his injury woes and being much more consistent now in terms of both his performances and availability, Pedri has been transformed by Hansi Flick. As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, the Spanish midfielder has embraced a more leading role as he has now become much more involved in building up attacks as well as helping out defensively.

Interestingly, Pedri currently leads the European charts for pre-assists, a metric that works well in highlighting just how well a player contributes to initiating attacks. His total tally currently amounts to eight total when his Spanish Super Cup numbers are added in as well, and that makes him the best initiator of chances across Europe’s top five leagues and even cup tournaments as well.

Against Real Betis, in his most recent game, he was also heavily involved in almost every way when it came to controlling the tempo of the game. He made 21 passes into the final third, the most of any player in the match, and they simply gave a glimpse into the amount of offensive freedom that Hansi Flick has given to him.

Even defensively, the Barcelona captain has started to showcase his leadership. Compared to his statistics when he played under Xavi Hernandez, Pedri is much more complete now as well. He now recovers more balls per average in the final third (0.99 per 90 minutes now compared to 0.62 under his former manager), and also wins more duels on average (7.99 per 90 minutes compared to 7.54 under Xavi).

Ultimately, it is clear to see that the €100 million-rated midfielder is showcasing his leadership beyond just the fact that he is now one of the team’s captains. For Pedri, this new wave of consistency is something that he has desperately been working towards, and Hansi Flick seems to have finally helped him achieve it at Barcelona.