Barcelona Transfer News: Gerson Setback, Luis Enrique Unhappy with Pedro Rumours

Barcelona look set to lose out to Roma in pursuit of Fluminense midfield starlet Gerson, according to reports.

Steve Mitchell of GianlucaDiMarzio.com wrote that the Blaugrana’s recent presidential elections have prompted a change in the club’s transfer strategy and the 18-year-old does not align with their new mantras. Roma will offer €16 million for the teenager, plus another €1 million should they qualify for the Champions League directly.

Here’s a look at why some of the most illustrious clubs in European football are on the hunt for Gerson:

Gerson looks like a player who’s capable of going to the very top of the game. Typically stationed on the right flank, he possesses an abundance of technical qualities, a visionary eye for a pass and an in-game intelligence scarcely seen when it comes to a player quite so young.

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Brazilian football expert Jack Lang gave his assessment on the young Brazilian earlier this year:

At this juncture, a move to Barcelona would make little sense. Although Gerson is talented, he isn’t quite refined enough to make it into Luis Enrique’s first-team squad, while dropping down to Barcelona B, who will play in the third tier of Spanish football next season, would do little for his development either.

Bleacher Report’s Andy Brassell took a look at some La Masia players who could potentially make the step up into the first team this season:

According to Mitchell, the teenager could head back to Fluminense as part of any deal with Roma or on loan to Serie A side Bologna for the season. Either way, while Gerson boasts all the talent that would make him a natural fit for Barcelona eventually, at the moment he’d be better off elsewhere.

Pedro Rumours Annoy Luis Enrique

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Barcelona manager Luis Enrique has insisted he does not want Pedro to leave Barcelona this summer but has admitted he won’t stand in the way of a player who wants to leave the club.

"Pedro is a high-level player and as a coach I want him to stay here, but is his decision,” said the Blaugrana boss on Tuesday, per Kris Voakes of Goal.com. “There will only be exits if someone wants to leave and at the moment we don't have news about this.”

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As noted by Sky Sports, Manchester United have a serious interest in bringing Pedro to the Premier League. According to Javier Giraldo of SPORT, the two clubs held talks about the transfer on Tuesday, with a deal reportedly worth around €30 million close to completion.

Although Enrique claims he wants Pedro to stay, the player was used scarcely during his debut campaign as manager, per OptaJose:

With Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi taking up the front three spots in the Barcelona team, that’s no surprise. But Pedro is a player with plenty to offer at the very highest level and is far too good to be spending the peak years of his career sat on the bench. Although he isn’t letting on, that’s something Enrique will also be acutely aware of.

The concern for the manager will come when injury or suspension rules one of his first-choice forwards out. Pedro was an able deputy in those types of circumstances, and although players like Munir El Haddadi, Sandro Ramirez and Rafinha are all exciting prospects, they wouldn’t be able to fill the void left by one of Messi, Neymar or Suarez quite as well as the Spanish international.