Aston Villa are interested in signing Pedro from Chelsea, who secured their place in the Champions League knockout rounds on Tuesday, as reported by The Telegraph.
The Villans are interested in a deal that offers him regular football as Dean Smith aims to bolster his attack.
According to the report, they believe a cut-price deal should be available with Pedro’s contract expiring at the end of the season.
The World Cup winner has slipped down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, making just six starts and three substitute appearances across all competitions this campaign.
Having a player of the Spaniard’s pedigree can certainly be positive, with the former Barcelona man also winning three Champions Leagues.
Though there is already competition on the wings, as Trezeguet, Anwar El Ghazi and Jota are all at the club, while Jack Grealish has been featuring on the left-wing lately.
With this in mind, FFC writers have given their thoughts on whether Villa should move for the 32-year-old.
Viji Jeevathayalan
“A Champions League winner in his time with Barcelona, Pedro turning up at Villa Park to strut his stuff would be one major statement of intent. From playing one-twos with Lionel Messi to potentially feeding off Wesley’s flick-ons. Sounds about the same.
“But if Dean Smith can manage to convince the Spaniard to leave his current home at Chelsea to join his project at Aston Villa, it would underline how ambitious the club are. And whilst he hasn’t had significant game-time this season, with just nine appearances to his name, he has enjoyed a largely successful time at Stamford Bridge overall.
“He has scored 42 times and provided 26 assists across all competitions for the Blues, and would bring a vital source of goals and title-winning experience. Signing Pedro would be a major coup.”
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Kealan Hughes
“While Pedro has undoubted quality and would add some much-needed experience to the Villa ranks, you can’t help but feel that this is a signing they don’t really need to make.
“Dean Smith already has a plethora of quality wingers at his disposal, with players like Trezeguet and Anwar El Ghazi proving their attacking threat with three league goals each this term, and Jack Grealish also able to play out wide.
“Pedro’s eight strikes in the league last year suggests he’d also contribute in that department, but the Villans would still be better suited to targeting a striker, as Wesley has hit a run of barren form and his mobility is somewhat of an issue. That’s made worse by the fact there is no Premier League quality alternative in the squad.”
Domagoj Kostanjsak
“I feel like signing Pedro could really give Aston Villa the boost they need. Even though he’s fallen down the pecking order just a bit and is slowly but surely going towards the twilight of his career, I’d still say Pedro is a brilliant player. The fact he’s played for Barcelona and Chelsea proves that.
“He would also bring about that experience and top-level pedigree that might be missing in their current team. Obviously, he’s not really a long-term solution but still has enough fire to provide an instant impact. If they can really land him, it would be a no-brainer for me.”
Red Herring or Real Hero: Only hardcore Villa fans will get all of them right….
Danny Lewis
“Villa already have plenty of options on the wings, but Smith has shown that he wants to have competition all over the pitch, with an example being that he has five centre-backs at his disposal.
“Considering this, bringing Pedro in makes sense for Villa, as it will add another quality option that he can put out on the wings.
“A move to Villa Park could also make sense for Pedro due to the number of wingers, as having options means he wouldn’t have as much pressure to hit the ground running, with some rust potentially having developed from his sporadic use this campaign.
“The team is currently above the relegation zone on goal difference, so any added quality can only be beneficial and Pedro falls into that category.”
In other news, Villa could be in safe hands despite Tyrone Mings’ injury.
