Reports in Spain claim Liverpool chief Ian Ayre is prepping Pedro bid
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According to Spanish sources, Brendan Rodgers is preparing to make Barcelona’s Pedro his eighth summer signing, following the capture of centre forward Christian Benteke for £32.5m.
Manchester United were thought to be leading the race for the astute attacker, who has a £21m buyout clause in his contract, though Pedro is top of Rodgers’ list and he wants to tie up a deal for him as soon as possible. With Barcelona having signed Arda Turan from Atletico Madrid this summer, Pedro is surplus to requirements and the Catalan club is keen to balance the books.
Meanwhile, teammate Sergio Busquets has also conceded that Pedro could leave: “I think that as a team-mate and friend, I would like him to stay for a long time but I understand that he has doubts,” he said.
“He wants to play but there is a lot of competition. In our team we have the best players and it’s very difficult.
“I hope he stays but the decision is his.”
The Reds, 9/4 with Coral for a top four finish next term, have strengthened considerably since last season ended and have gradually gained momentum, after firstly snapping up James Milner and Danny Ings on free transfers, before Championship duo Adam Bogdan and Joe Gomez joined.
With the first phase finished with, Liverpool then brought in the cavalry. Chief executive Ian Ayre hot-footed it over to South America to thrash out a deal for Roberto Firmino, before stopping off on the English south coast to wrap up the signing of Nathaniel Clyne.
Allowing time for these recruits to settle while on tour with the Reds, Ayre waited before embarking on phase three. Realising Raheem Sterling’s situation needed sorting, he played hardball with Manchester City before allowing him to leave for an inflated £49m and then played his hand again.
Although Benteke’s buyout clause was maybe more than he is currently worth on paper, Ayre knew that if he made the bid, it would be accepted and the club would still be getting a monster of a striker who can terrorise defenders, score goals and give the Reds a nastier edge up front that could see them win trophies.
Having tied this deal up, it is onto the next. Interestingly, Liverpool have signed every player they have set their sights on this summer and with this in mind, as well as Ayre’s unerring efficiency in the market, a deal for Pedro looks credible.
His arrival could spell an end to the Reds spending, unless they decide to address potential problems at centre back and between the sticks, though they will still be a force to be reckoned with next season, if Rodgers can get all the players to gel.
