The very highly rated Barcelona striker Pedro Rodriguez is being linked with Arsenal as the club look to replace Lukas Podolski.
The latest reports coming out of Spain say that the the Gunners made an initial contact with his representatives. The report goes on to add that the chances of striking a deal for this summer are being evaluated.
Pedro’s future at the Nou Camp has been the subject of speculation for a long time. The Spanish striker signed a new contract extending his stay at the club till 2019. But the contract extension did not stop discussions on his future.
Pedro had a very frustrating last season as he struggled to secure regular starts for Barcelona. He scored 11 goals for the Catalan club and helped them win a historic second treble. However he was always behind Luis Suarez and Neymar for a place in the starting XI.
The Spanish striker has won 18 titles during his time at Barcelona but was unsettled for many seasons now. And he is no short of suitors – Liverpool and Arsenal have been credited with strong interest. Liverpool already added 6 fresh faces to their squad. Getting Pedro may still be attractive for them but it remains to be seen if their interest is genuine.
Arsenal, on the other hand, may be tempted to look at Pedro. Podolski is sold to Galatasaray as Wenger looks to fresh up his squad and get into title challenging mode. This could mean that the club would look to add a striker. Pedro brings experience and class that would improve Arsenal’s chances of launching a challenge for the Premier League next season.
An interesting footnote to the scenario is Pedro’s release clause which stands at an eye-watering £110 million. Such contracts are generally put in place to help strengthen a club’s bargaining power during transfers – just in case they decide to cash in on the player.
Arsenal may not find it difficult to overcome Liverpool or for that matter any other club which may rival them for Pedro. But, the chances look really slim unless the player himself demands a move. Pedro may be looking at more game time and being the first choice striker; but transfer this summer looks very slim and can probably be ruled out.
But what do you think? Will Pedro be a good addition to the squad? Is he the player that can lift the club to the next level? Should Arsenal go all out to secure him, even if the chances are slim?
Sridhar