Liverpool Transfer News: Latest on Pedro and Asier Illarramendi Rumours

After their humiliating 6-1 final-day defeat to Stoke City, reports suggest Liverpool will look towards La Liga to strengthen their options in the form of Barcelona's Pedro and Real Madrid's Asier Illarramendi.

World Cup-winner Pedro could arrive at Anfield in a cut-price move as his contract at the Camp Nou runs down.

Jamie McLaughlin of Metro says a £7 million deal might be in the offering as Brendan Rodgers looks to juggle his attacking options in the wake of the Raheem Sterling contract saga, which saw the player benched for the disastrous performance at Stoke.

Pedro has fallen out of favour at Barcelona since the arrival of Luis Suarez from the Merseyside giants, but at 27 years old, he still has much to offer. 

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However, Barca’s international sporting director Ariedo Braida recently claimed the player will not be leaving the Catalan ranks—with the club under a transfer embargo, speaking to a FCInterNews.it, per Sky Sports:

"

He’ll carry on as a Barcelona player, he’s incredibly important for us and he won’t leave. He has a contract to continue at the Camp Nou and will do, even more so given the FIFA sanction. I don’t think we’ll change our minds in January, he’s an important player.

"

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Pedro has been with the Blaugrana for a decade, playing 300 times during one of the most illustrious periods in the club's history and featuring 50 times for Spain, per McLaughlin.

His ability to play on either side of the attack would make him a vital asset to the Reds, in a support function to Daniel Sturridge in the striker's role. 

But Matt Law of the Telegraph says Pedro has been offered to a number of Premier League clubs, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur all interested: 

Target Illarramendi Reluctant to Leave Madrid

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Liverpool transfer target Asier Illarramendi has spoken about his desire to stay at Real Madrid, despite reports suggesting Los Blancos are looking to sell the prodigious midfielder.

The 25-year-old has been stuck on the Los Blancos bench this term, but the player has been vocal about his desire to remain at the Bernabeu, as quoted by Ed Malyon of the Mirror:

"

I have a contract for a few more years and I hope to stay because I really like it here. The truth is that I haven't played much. Everyone likes to play more, but obviously in Madrid it's very difficult to play and get continuity.

"

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Tom Hopkinson of the Sunday People, via the Mirror, recently wrote that Rodgers will make an £8.5 million offer, but Real Madrid are looking for a fee closer to £10 million for the player who has only made 10 La Liga starts this season, per WhoScored.com.

Hopkinson claims the Reds are in the "driving seat" to land Illarramendi, who was seen by many to be a star of the near future when he signed for the Galacticos from Real Sociedad in 2013. 

The Spaniard would be a well-timed addition to the Liverpool squad with the departure of Steven Gerrard to MLS. Though not as dynamic as Gerrard, the player would give Rodgers a solid base in the centre, mirroring the former qualities of Xabi Alonso at the heart of the Liverpool midfield.

Pedro would offer Rodgers genuine quality in the attack, but it is questionable whether he will want to play Europa League football when Champions League suitors will be interested in him. At £7 million, all of the big teams in Europe will enquire about the attacker, and he will have the pick of the bunch. 

However, both Spaniards are the kind of quality players Rodgers needs to bring in soon, otherwise Liverpool will be finishing out of the top four for the foreseeable future.