Barcelona Transfer News: New Pedro Deal Will Be Right Move for Blaugrana

Barcelona are reportedly planning a new offer for winger Pedro, despite the player complaining about a lack of playing time, and with the Blaugrana restricted by a transfer ban, locking up a longtime contributor would be the right move for the future.

As reported by the Daily Mirror's John Cross, the new deal will be made in mind with potential interest from Arsenal, who could move for the player in January:

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Barcelona are ready to offer Spanish forward Pedro a new contract - to stop Arsenal going back for him.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is a long time admirer of the 27-year-old and enquired about him last summer.

Barcelona refused to let Pedro go even though he was frustrated at a lack of games last season and was ready to move on.

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The 27-year-old has featured in six La Liga matches this season, per WhoScored.com, and his rating of 6.67 in that competition is nothing to write home about.

Indeed, with the emergence of Munir El Haddadi and the arrival of Luis Suarez, the Spain international has become somewhat of an afterthought, and his playing time isn't set to rise in the near future.

Under normal circumstances, it would make sense for the Catalan giants to cash in on the forward. He's still young enough to demand a solid transfer fee, and while he's no longer one of their top players at the position, he holds enough value for there to be significant interest in his services from a number of clubs.

Barcelona's situation is anything but normal, however. The transfer ban means any departing players would have to be replaced internally, and while the Blaugrana have a wealth of talent available through their youth setup, there is no replacement for experience.

Brazil international Neymar learned that lesson the hard way. A supremely gifted player, his first season in La Liga was filled with struggles. Neymar needed to adapt to the European game and the high level of La Liga, and in 2014-15, he has established himself as one of the top players in the league.

El Haddadi has flashed his potential early this season, but fans have also witnessed his limitations. There have been plenty of moments when the 19-year-old made the wrong decision on the pitch, exactly the kind of mistakes younger players will make.

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

Barcelona want to give the youngster every opportunity to develop, but they also want to contend for silverware on every level. Without a player as experienced as Pedro there to step in when El Haddadi is struggling, the Blaugrana would be one injury to a key contributor away from disaster.

Locking Pedro up to a new long-term contract serves two purposes: Not only would the veteran forward serve as an excellent insurance policy against potential injuries (while still contributing meaningful minutes in plenty of matches), the Catalans would also make sure a transfer in the future would come with a significant price tag.

One thing that is left is to convince Pedro to sign. Ultimately, the choice will be his, and he knows he and his representatives will be negotiating from a position of strength. His contract runs out in 2016—Barca would be forced to move him soon if he doesn't re-sign, and they can't bring in anyone new.

But with an eye on silverware in the 2014-15 season, Barcelona have no other option. A front line of Neymar, Suarez and Lionel Messi with El Haddadi and Pedro as depth options would be capable of challenging any team in the world, injuries or no.

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