Toni Kroos highlights the one Barcelona star 'more important than Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, or Robert Lewandowski'

Barcelona have already bagged the Copa del Rey title in the 2024-25 campaign and are on course to win a European treble as they lead the La Liga title race by four points and have reached the last-four stage of the Champions League. The Catalan club's attack, consisting of players like Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, is one of the most lethal in Europe. However, according to Toni Kroos, Spanish midfielder Pedri is the most important player in Hansi Flick's side.

Speaking to Marca, the Los Blancos icon said: "He's the best in the world in his position. For me, a player like Pedri is more important than Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, or Lewandowski. They're the ones who decide the outcome of matches, but to achieve that, Pedri is currently the best player in the world in his position. Pedri, in general, is a player you'll miss when he's not playing, no matter who you're playing against. He doesn't just score goals, he doesn't just provide assists. He offers solutions.

"I've been watching what Pedri is doing this season, and in the Champions League alone, he's outplaying his opponents in every single game. In La Liga, he's even more extreme! He's been beating defenders an average of 11 to 12 times per game, which is the hardest thing for a midfielder to do. He's the best. And if you lose a player like him, you'll notice! Pedri is one of the few midfielders in his position who has the gift of being able to dribble past someone in short spaces. A player like Pedri helps you in every phase of the game."

Kroos added: "I experienced it myself, especially once. We were demolished at home. Once or twice, I thought I could get to him, because Pedri doesn't look very fast, but he dribbles everywhere, and I couldn't even stop him with a foul. It's not like with Messi, where you see his quickness of movement. Pedri doesn't look that fast, but he really is. And he's fast because of his ease!"

The Blaugrana will be back in action in the midweek as they jet off to Milan to face Inter in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final fixture on May 6.