Thursday 13 August 2015 10:17, UK
Barcelona will not consider selling winger Pedro to Manchester United unless his £21.2m release clause is paid in full, according to Graham Hunter.
Having fallen behind Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar in the pecking order at the Camp Nou, the 28-year-old looks set to end his seven-year spell at Barca and move to Old Trafford in pursuit of regular first-team football.
But, according to Spanish football expert Hunter, Barca and United are yet to reach an agreement over the fee, despite both the club and the player being resigned to Pedro's seemingly imminent departure.
"Pedro accepts that leaving Barcelona is a real possibility but Barca seem to be sticking to that release fee of £21.2m," Hunter told Sky Sports News HQ.
"They will not budge. They want 30m euros up front, not in chunks, not in delayed payments.
"It is thought Barca will also snub a bid in excess of 30m euros which is made in installments.
"They have made it quite clear, they want the release clause paid up front. That is proving to be the sticking point.
"Add to the fact that Barca play the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup tie against Bilbao on Friday with a squad that is still tired and missing Neymar, who has mumps. So this could hold the deal up further."
Despite Neymar's illness, Pedro started Barca's 5-4 UEFA Super Cup victory over Sevilla on Tuesday among the substitutes, before coming on to score an injury-time winner in what could turn out to be his last game for the club.
But the big talking point, according to Hunter, was the Spaniard's post-match outburst where he slammed Barcelona's technical secretary Robert Fernandez who claimed Pedro had requested to leave the club.
Pedro accepts that leaving Barcelona is a real possibility but Barca seem to be sticking to that release fee of £21.2million. They will not budge, they want 30million euros up front, not in chunks, not in delayed payments. They have made it quite clear, they want the release clause paid up front. That is proving to be the sticking point.
"Last night, the news story was not only Pedro's fury at not starting but he was enraged that a new sports director, Robert Fernandez - with whom he said he had barely exchanged two words with in his life - misrepresented his position in a television interview in Tbilisi," Hunter added.
"Pedro said it was unjust that he had been misrepresented, that he had never said those words to Fernandez, that it was completely unfair that the club had come out and said this through the mouth of a new employee who, albeit senior, was not permitted to speak on behalf of Pedro.
"Pedro made it clear in his fiercely frustrated and angry interview that he did not want to leave and that if he did, it would be in pursuit of more regular football.
Manchester United target Pedro insists he has not asked to leave Barcelona
"He was enraged by the idea that he might be leaving for more wages and he was very upset in general, due to not starting against Sevilla.
"Luis Enrique is adding to the confusion by really begging Pedro to stay, yet when the chance came to play him because Neymar has the mumps, he didn't use it.
"Barcelona are now resigned to the fact that they may have tipped Pedro over the edge and that he may be so frustrated that he will leave."
