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There has never been a transfer window where Barcelona winger Pedro Rodriguez hasn’t been linked with a Liverpool move. Or at least it can sometimes start to seem that way. Which makes it hard to take yet another set of rumours surrounding the player at all seriously.
This time around, though, it’s Andy Hunder at the Guardian and Paul Joyce with the Express, a pair of names that carry some weight in the world of Liverpool transfer news, who are connecting the dots. Which would almost make it seem a real possibility if it wasn’t for the past dozen transfer windows.
Still, having reporters with ties to the club suggest Pedro as a legitimate target to replace Raheem Sterling means there’s at least an outside chance, this time around, the 27-year-old Spanish international really could end up at Anfield. It means such a move now seems merely unlikely rather than impossible.
If the interest is real, though, Liverpool will have stiff competition for his signature, with three seemingly better positioned clubs also being linked to him. Arsenal and Manchester United were, like Liverpool, previously linked with a move for Pedro this summer. Paris Saint-Germain, though, is new.
Looking to overhaul their attack, the Ligue 1 spenders could offer wages on par with the English clubs along with Champions League football, which would seem to give them the edge over Liverpool. If Pedro does move on, though, it’s easy to see something else topping his list of what’s important: playing time.
Over the years, whenever he’s been linked with a move away from Barcelona, it’s always come down to playing time and that the Catalans are always out looking for somebody to come in and take his minutes. The arrival of Luis Suarez finally seemed to do that, pushing him well down the pecking order.
If Champions League is the top priority, Liverpool are at a disadvantage. If money is they likely are, too. But if the question is playing time, it’s likely none of the other linked clubs offer Pedro the opportunity to walk in as a lock for the first eleven the way Liverpool does. And that could give them the edge.
Assuming, of course, they’re actually interested in him. Which given the way he’s linked to the club every transfer window without fail remains difficult to countenance, even if this time the links are being made by those with solid track records.
