According to reports from The Daily Star this afternoon, Liverpool are hoping to hijack Chelsea’s £22million deal for Barcelona winger-forward Pedro.
The 27 year-old has done and won it all throughout his tenures with the Catalans and the Spanish national team, winning five La Liga titles, three Champions League titles, the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European Championship.
But the £75million arrival of Luis Suarez last summer has forced him out of Barca’s starting Xi, leading many to speculate he’d leave the Nou Camp this summer with his contract into it’s final twelve months.
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Pedro appeared to put rumours to rest by penning extended terms until 2019 in June. But that contract included a £22million release clause, and he’s since admitted to receiving offers to leave the European champions.
Chelsea are believed to be the front-runners in the race to sign the 5 foot 6 attacker, with reports on Wednesday claiming they hope to conclude a deal by the end of next week.
Despite the release clause, Barcelona’s temporary board aren’t allowed to sanction any transfers; so a deal can only go through after the club’s presidential election this Saturday.
And according to The Star, Liverpool intend to use that delay to their advantage, by muscling in on Chelsea’s bid at the final minute.
Whether they can attract Pedro without the incentive of Champions League football, however, remains to be seen.