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Lamine Yamal and Pedri heaped lavish praise on Barcelona striker target Julián Alvarez, not so subtly making clear their desire to see the Argentine join them at the Catalan club next season.
The two Barcelona stars are currently focused on guiding Spain to a second World Cup triumph, but that didn't prevent them from sharing candid thoughts when asked about the prospect of Alvarez becoming a club teammate in 2026–27.
"Of course, who doesn't like him [Alvarez]?" Pedri said, via Sport. "He's a world-class player. We'll see what happens with his future..."
Pedri kept his answer concise. Yamal, however, went into considerably more detail, explaining why he believes Alvarez is a perfect fit for Barcelona.
"The whole world knows he [Alvarez] is a top player," Yamal said, via Mundo Deportivo. "One everyone wants to have. I've said it before, we have open arms and if he comes, we'll all be very happy. I think he's a player that fits a lot with Barça's style. I have no idea how the situation is going, but hopefully yes."
Latest Barcelona Scheme Could Unlock Julian Alvarez Transfer
Barcelona's opening offer for Alvarez was not only turned down by Atlético Madrid but also triggered a wave of fierce social media backlash from Los Rojiblancos. Alvarez subsequently made a public statement expressing his wish to leave Atlético Madrid, hinting at his preference for Barcelona. This prompted Atléti to lodge formal complaints with FIFA and the Spanish soccer federation over Barça's behavior.
There have been no major new developments recently, but AS has reported that Barcelona have sought a bank credit of $240 million (€210 million) to further strengthen their summer transfer budget.
The Catalans are said to be nearing an agreement for Borussia Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi, but the majority of the loan would almost certainly be directed toward securing a world-class striker like Alvarez, which has been the club's widely acknowledged top priority this summer.
Club president Joan Laporta remains firmly interested in Alvarez, and a renewed push to shift Atlético's hardline position could gain momentum once the 2026 World Cup concludes.
With Barcelona back within La Liga's financial fair play regulations for the first time in four years, this summer is seen as a crucial window to strengthen Hansi Flick's squad, as the Catalans are expected to once again face difficulties meeting the 1:1 rule next year due to the ongoing Camp Nou renovations.
Pedri, Yamal Choose Ideal World Cup Final Opponent
Regardless of how the Alvarez transfer situation plays out, there is a chance he could share the pitch with Pedri and Yamal even before the new season gets underway, with Spain and Argentina potentially clashing in the 2026 World Cup final.
Both Spain players said they would welcome the chance to face Argentina in the final, with the added appeal of going up against Lionel Messi — something Pedri described as a "dream."
"That dream would be incredible because it means we've reached the World Cup final," Pedri told AS. "I'm enjoying it [what Messi is doing]. I was able to enjoy him when I played with him and trained with him every day and it's remarkable. The things he's doing only he can do — at his age he has more quality than anyone else and for me he's the greatest of all time."
Yamal expressed a similar sentiment, marveling at what Messi has managed to achieve this summer.
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"Incredible," Yamal said of Messi. "The whole world knows who Messi is, but nobody anticipated the remarkably high level he's performing at. I'm genuinely happy for him. I'm really happy for Neymar and Cristiano [Ronaldo] too. They shaped the childhoods of all of us playing now. Everything good that happens to them is good for me. But if I reach the final, I want to win it."
For that dream final to become a reality, Argentina must defeat Switzerland and then overcome the winner of England vs. Norway in a potential semifinal. Spain, meanwhile, must first get past Belgium before a high-stakes semifinal showdown against France.