For a good solid month of the summer transfer window, it appeared only a matter of time before Spainsh winger Pedro was unveiled as a Manchester United player. Reports were widely published claiming that the former Barcelona man had agreed personal terms with Man United, and the formality of a release clause being met looked to be on the verge of going ahead, until Chelsea swooped in and completed the deal in about 48 hours.
United fans were left confused as to why this had happened. It seemed as though the club were dithering over the fee, but the word out of Old Trafford soon explained that they were unsure if the Spaniard was the right target as they were hoping for a different player to arrive before the transfer deadline. Rumours later emerged that former teammate Victor Valdes had warned Pedro about Louis Van Gaal and convinced him to choose Chelsea.
Well now Pedro himself has had his say, and while he has admitted that he did speak at length to Valdes, he was not turned off the club, and this does seem to validate the idea that money wasn't the issue, but rather taking too long to make a decision.
No. It's true that I don't like that treatment for my colleagues, especially for Victor, who has been a reference as a teammate and as a professional. I don't believe it's fair but it didn't influence my decision.
I just saw that Manchester didn't take that step, that they were taking too long and I needed a team to start. Chelsea were more decisive.
Pedro continued to explain that Victor Valdes told him that Manchester United was a fantastic club, and that his problem with Louis Van Gaal was personal, but when Mourinho and Chelsea came in for him, he quickly decided that he wanted to play for the former Real Madrid boss:
I had an important chat with Mourinho, who told me that he wanted me, that with me they would have a better team and he said many things that I liked to hear.
That combined with the possibility to live in London was what made me decide.
So why did Pedro choose Chelsea over Manchester United?
-Chelsea wanted him, United weren't sure.
-A chat with Mourinho sold the club to him.
-He got to live in London.
Fair enough.
Manchester United fans will have been frustrated as Pedro started his Premier League career by showcasing the exact type of skills that their club needs, but the powers that be at Old Trafford weren't fully convinced, and never pulled the trigger.
via ESPN.
