Anyone with an ear to the ground in football will tell you that Manchester United are probably closest to a deal with Spanish international Pedro right now.
The mere size of the club means that Manchester United usually fail to keep their transfer targets a secret.
But they still tend to drag out their transfer business more than many.
Pedro is a case in point. The player seemingly wants to leave the club and Barcelona have stated that his fee is 30m Euros. So quite what the hold up is, we aren’t sure. It seems that the player himself is still unsure about whether to stick or twist.
But he would provide precisely the pace and creativity which LvG is looking for in his front line this season.
If he were to slot into the team on the right wing, it might give Louis the option of playing Juan Mata in the hole behind Wayne Rooney and using the pace of Memphis Depay out on the left flank.
We think that this side would have a lot more balance and penetration than the current set up.
Pedro is a seasoned international with 50 caps for Spain and 16 goals.
He has also scored at a good rate for Barcelona, especially when you consider that he is a winger, with 99 goals in 319 games at club level.
His career highlights have been abundant. He has won a World Cup and a Euro Championship with Spain. And, at club level, his best moment possibly came with the goal he scored against Manchester United in a 3-1 win in The Champions League final in 2011.
At that point he was a first team regular. But the arrivals of Alexis Sanchez and, latterly, Neymar and Luis Suarez have limited his opportunities.
This is a player with all the professionalism of fellow countryman Juan Mata. He would be no bother at all for Manchester United and will almost certainly be a nailed on starter if he joins the club.
We wait with bated breath as he makes the biggest decision of his career – a new challenge and guaranteed minutes at Manchester United. Or more splinters in his arse at Barca.
Pedro in Numbers:
Barcelona
La Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15
Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15
Supercopa de España: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013
UEFA Champions League: 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15
UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011
Spain
FIFA World Cup: 2010
UEFA European Championship: 2012
FIFA Confederations Cup: Runner-up 2013
Let’s see his best moments.
