According to a Daily Star report, Chelsea winger Pedro fancies a move back to his former club Barcelona amidst interest from Aston Villa.
Since arriving at Stamford Bridge in 2015, the veteran winger has racked up a total of 192 appearances and scored 42 goals across all competitions for the Blues.
A key player under previous managers Maurizio Sarri, Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho, Pedro has found himself sidelined to the bench ever since Frank Lampard took over the reins as Blues manager last summer.
The seasoned campaigner has fallen down the pecking order under Lampard, who seems to have kept his faith in the younger talents rather than the old guards in his side.
The arrival of Christian Pulisic and the meteoric rise of academy graduate Callum Hudson-Odoi has pushed the 5-time La Liga and 3-time Champions League winner to the fringes.
However, Pedro’s teammate Willian, on the other hand, seems to have regained his lost form. The Brazilian, who has hit peak form this season, has established himself as a regular within the side, adding to Pedro’s list of dismays.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa, who are currently languishing at the bottom half of the table, one place clear of the relegation zone are desperate to add reinforcements to their squad and are planning a potential raid for Pedro.
However, such a move seems highly unlikely, with the Spaniard recently admitting that he would be interested to make a return to his boyhood club.
Moreover, with Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde recently hinting that they could bring their former player back to Camp Nou, it seems to be a win-win deal for both the parties involved. (Source: Marca).
The Catalans are currently leading the La Liga table and are in a position of strength at the moment. However, there are issues within the squad that need to be resolved if they wish to stay on top forever.
Constant injuries to big-money signing Ousmane Dembele has put Barcelona in a spot of bother, with the Catalonian side left with just two more options on the wing.
Meanwhile, the two – Ansu Fati and Carles Perez are still young and need more time to mature. The highly-rated Fati has just turned 17, while Perez has made only one league appearance this season.
Hence, there seems to be no better time than this for Barcelona to re-sign their former star, as he is available on a free transfer at the end of this season.
His inclusion would offer Valverde more options in the attack at a time when there is a clear dearth of established attacking wingers in his squad.
Also, with the arrival of the 33-year-old winger, Barcelona would have someone who is already equipped with the club’s philosophies and game style.
With Pedro’s contract at Chelsea soon to expire, this seems like the best opportunity for Barcelona to land their former star. Moreover, Barcelona clearly need someone experienced up front considering the lack of attackers in the side.
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