Chelsea and Arsenal have received some bad news in the quest for Barcelona forward Pedro with the club’s sporting director indicating that the player will not be allowed to leave the club this summer.
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The World Cup winner has reportedly grown frustrated with a lack of playing time at Barcelona, and has found his route to the first team blocked by the sublime trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.
Indeed, the 27-year-old has managed only 13 starts in La Liga so far this term—with a further 20 appearances from the bench—and has started only four matches in the Champions League.
Chelsea and Arsenal have both been linked with a move for the forward, who has played at Barcelona for his entire career.
The Metro recently reported that the Gunners were particularly interested in the player, with a fee of around £20-22 million believed to be enough to secure the international’s services.
However, speaking to FcInterNews, Barca’s new sporting director Ariedo Braida has clarified the situation and insisted that the Catalonians will not be selling the player this summer—partly due to their own inability to sign a replacement.
“Pedro is and will remain a Barcelona player,” he began, “he is a very important player for us, so he won’t be leaving this summer.
“He has a contract and will remain at the Nou Camp, especially considering our own recruitment ban.”