Barcelona Transfer News: Catalans Should Part Ways with Star Forward Pedro

Reports of Pedro's potential departure from Barcelona in January continue to surface, and with the Spain international's value higher than it will ever be, the Blaugrana should strongly consider a transfer in the imminent future.

Spanish sources have been speculating about Pedro's future for weeks now, and Fichajes (h/t Metro) recently learned Liverpool are ready to rival favourites Arsenal for his signature, with Barcelona hoping for a £25 million transfer fee.

Accoding to Fichajes, the Reds are willing to simply outbid the Gunners, which could potentially lead to a bidding war for the 27-year-old's services.

If that's the case, a sale has to be the only way forward. Despite the looming transfer ban and Pedro's long-term contributions to the Catalans, a split between both parties has become the best (and only) option.

Once an integral part of the Blaugrana squad, Pedro has seen his playing time drop considerably under new coach Luis Enrique. According to WhoScored.com, he's started five La Liga matches this season, and none since Luis Suarez's playing ban came to an end.

His contributions in those five starts have been limited—he scored once, during Barcelona's 5-0 thrashing of Levante, and has no assists to his name. Pedro spoke to the club's official website recently about his lack of production and the competition for the starting spots:

"

I might not be getting goals, but I’m happy with the way things are going and I’m sure they’ll start coming. The important thing is that the team is working well.

I just want to work. I’m competing with the best strikers in the world and it’s hard to always get in the team. What Munir and Sandro are doing is motivating for all of us. They want to do things right and that’s good for the team. And there’s still Suarez to come. The more the merrier.

"

Pundits like Sergi Dominguez see his contributions so far this season a little differently:

While Pedro hasn't been particularly productive, the star players around him have. Neymar is Barcelona's leading scorer, followed by Lionel Messi. Youngster Munir El Haddadi has quickly made a name for himself as a future superstar, and even Rafinha has outplayed Pedro in 2014-15.

The arrival of Suarez further complicates his situation. The trio of Suarez, Neymar and Messi will be designated starters up front for the rest of the season—there's simply no way around it. If consistent playing time is what Pedro is after, he won't find it in Barcelona.

As shared by Sergi Dominguez, Enrique knows the pieces he's allowed to work with just received a massive upgrade:

Barcelona's transfer ban means the team wouldn't be able to bring in an outside replacement to deal with the loss of Pedro, but at this stage, such a loss wouldn't be devastating. El Haddadi is still young and there will be some growing pains, but so far this season, he's looked the better player of the two.

As for Pedro's long-term future at the club: El Haddadi isn't the only talented youngster about to become a household name for the Blaugrana. With Adama Traore set to debut for the senior side in the near future, Pedro's chances will only shrink further and further.

Keeping the 27-year-old around as insurance against injuries would be the prudent move, but if Arsenal and Liverpool are truly willing to put £25 million on the table for Pedro, the club has to strongly consider a sale.

He's no longer a full-time contributor, doesn't appear to have a big future at the club and his value will only diminish as time goes on. With Suarez firmly entrenched as the third member of the starting forwards, the time to sell is now.

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