Football News: Pedro Gonzalez (Pedri) is the new no. 8 for Barcelona amidst shirt change

The midfielder previously wore the #16 for two seasons but will now try to make his mark in a new number.

Dani Alves wore the #8 jersey last season, and he wore it for half of the 2021/22 season. However, Barcelona opted not to renew his contract, and the player left the club on a Bosman transfer.

After two years at Camp Nou, the adolescent has a new shirt number and is following in the footsteps of some great Blaugrana stars, with the teenager taking the shirt made famous by club veteran Andres Iniesta for the forthcoming season.

The 19-year-old, who joined the Blaugrana from Las Palmas in 2020, has had two excellent seasons for the club despite their struggles to win trophies, establishing himself as a staple at both domestic and international levels for Spain.

That strong form has earned him a move up the pecking order for next season, following Iniesta's footsteps and a few other well-known names.

What number did Pedro Gonzalez previously play at Barcelona?

The teenager was given the No. 16 shirt in his first season with the club, following a disappointing 2019-20 season in which the Blaugrana failed to win a title and suffered a historical Champions League defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich.

With Bosnia international Miralem Pjanic occupying the No. 8 shirt, Pedri was forced to compete for his spot, which he did, guiding them to reach the 2021 Copa del Rey under Ronald Koeman.

Pedri was kept at No. 16 when Pjanic was loaned out to Besiktas, with No. 8 going to the returning Dani Alves - but the latter has now left the club for the second time, allowing the youth to move up to a starting number.

Other No. 8's in Barcelona history

Guillermo Amor, Hristo Stoichkov, Albert Celades, and Phillip Cocu have all worn the coveted number for the Blaugrana, as has a former coach and current Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola. They wore it during the 1993-94 season.

But the shirt is most closely connected with Iniesta, who took the number in 2007-08 and wore it until his transfer to Vissel Kobe in 2018 - where he also wears No. 8.

During his time in the position, he arguably became the most feared midfielder in European and world football. He led Barcelona to a slew of significant honours at home and abroad - though he famously wore No. 6 for Spain in the 2010 World Cup Final in South Africa, with now-Barca manager Xavi instead wearing his number on the world stage.

With Pedri earning a legendary shirt at Barcelona, another player, Gavi, is also undergoing a significant shift.

Gavi is set to enter a new deal at Barcelona. 

The midfielder has drawn interest from Europe's elite clubs, but he is ready to sign a new contract. Mateu Alemany, Barcelona's sporting director, has stated that the club is optimistic Gavi will sign a new contract.

Gavi's current contract expires in the summer of 2023, and the Camp Nou club has talked with him for some time about a long-term deal.

The 17-year-old is one of the highest-rated players to emerge from the club's development programme in recent years, attracting the attention of some of the continent's elite teams.

Barca director Alemany has indicated that the two parties are close to an agreement, but he will not be signed to a new contract until August, when he will turn 18 years old.

"There is a framework agreement for the renewal of Gavi, with the player and with his agent," the Sporting director told media persons.

"The club, the player and the agent are committed to making this happen. We will wait until the player is 18 years old to be able to sign a contract of more than three years. Gavi is going to continue at Barca, 100 per cent."

After making his debut for Barcelona last season, the Spaniard has grown in the first squad. Gavi's current wage is €100,000, the same as the most outstanding junior academy players.

His agent is asking for a massive hike, urging the club to increase his salary to €6 million every season. On the other hand, Barcelona is currently unwilling to go above €4m.

Gavi has not gone ignored by Europe's elite clubs, with Bayern Munich interested and willing to pay more than Barcelona.