20th August, 2015
Chelsea have completed the signing of Barcelona winger Pedro for a fee of €30 million (£21.4m), €3m of which are add-ons.
Pedro, 28, had grown frustrated with a lack of first-team opportunities at Barcelona behind Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, but was on the verge of signing for Manchester United, having agreed terms with the Old Trafford club, only to choose Chelsea instead.
A statement on the Barcelona website read: “FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC have reached an agreement for the transfer of Pedro Rodríguez for 30 million euros, of which 3 million are dependent on performance. The Club wishes to publicly express its gratitude to Pedro Rodríguez for his professionalism and dedication while with the Club, as well as to wish him all the best in the future.”
Pedro told the Chelsea website: “I am very happy to be here. I am very excited to start my adventure at Chelsea and I am here to keep winning titles. Thanks to the club and the supporters for giving me the opportunity to put the blue shirt on.”
Welcome to Chelsea, @_Pedro17_! #CFC pic.twitter.com/UGc6yYBQsx
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 20, 2015
Chelsea are now expected to sell winger Juan Cuadrado less than nine months after his £23m move from Fiorentina last February.
Pedro made his debut for the Barcelona first team in the 2007-08 season under Frank Rijkaard, but it was not until the following campaign that he made his mark on the side.
In 2009, under new boss Pep Guardiola, Pedro was part of the side that claimed an unprecedented six-trophy haul by winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup, with the forward becoming the first player to score in each of those tournaments in a calendar year.
In all, the Tenerife-born attacker won 20 major trophies at the Camp Nou, including five domestic titles and three European crowns. He scored a total of 99 goals in 321 appearances for the club, the last of which being the extra-time winner in the 5-4 UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla earlier this month.
On the international stage, Pedro has scored 16 goals in 51 appearances for Spain, and has won both the World Cup and the European Championship for his country.
Culled from ESPN