José Mourinho, who has made no secret of his frustration at Chelsea’s lack of progress in the transfer market this summer, believes Stones would represent both a long-term asset and a player who could go straight into his first-team, particularly with Branislav Ivanovic and John Terry currently struggling for form.
Advertisement
Chelsea according to Daily Mail will pay £19million up front to Barcelona for Pedro and the 28-year-old will be reunited with former Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas at Stamford Bridge.
Pedro has been available all summer for £23million (€30million) after a verbal agreement with the Nou Camp club on signing his latest contract.
However, despite the delays, United’s chief negotiator Ed Woodward made his way to Barcelona on Monday supposedly to conclude the deal.
A rocky start to the season – drawing with Swansea and losing heavily to title rivals Manchester City – has seen the reigning Premier League champions feel an increasing pressure to bolster their squad.
It is no secret that Pedro Rodriguez has been pursued by Manchester United for quite a while now but the deal for the striker has been taking an eternity to complete.
Pedro claimed United would be a “nice challenge” after scoring Barcelona’s winner in the UEFA Super Cup, but even then hinted that there may be other offers on the table.
The saga between Barcelona and Manchester United with forward Pedro is still ongoing despite talks that the move is imminent.
They added: ‘Money was never an issue given the buyout clause.
The Red Devils’ delaying tactics also didn’t help as Pedro felt Chelsea wanted him more than Louis van Gaal’s men.
Advertisement
Chelsea have one point from their opening two games of the season and are also looking to strengthen in defence.
