In recent weeks, Barcelona forward Pedro Eliezer Rodríguez Ledesma was rumored and appeared to be very close to leaving the Nou Camp and joining Manchester United; but Chelsea has come into the picture and now have acquired the World Cup winner.
Pedro has been rumored to leave Barcelona with his minutes dwindling because of the attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, and Luis Suarez.
Manchester United were reportedly interested in Pedro as manager Louis van Gaal is looking for a striker to play with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernández, and James Wilson.
But it was Chelsea who will be acquiring Pedro, paying Barca the £21.2 million buyout clause for the forward.
According to The Guardian, Pedro was in London last Wednesday to have a medical and to talk about personal terms as United withdrew their interest in him.
The report added that Manchester United's recent performance convinced Van Gaal to permit their withdrawal from the negotiations.
In another report by The Guardian, phone calls from Chelsea manager José Mourinho and midfielder Cesc Fàbregas persuaded Pedro to choose Chelsea and turn down United.
The addition of Pedro to Chelsea is huge as he will be an offensive option for the defending Premier League champions.
Mourinho and the Blues are not having a great start in their campaign to defend their title this season.
Chelsea began the season with a 2–2 draw against Swansea City, which was followed by a 3–0 loss to their runner-ups last season, Manchester City.
The two game winless start is a first for Chelsea since 1998 and they will be looking for their first win when they take on West Brom in their next Premier League match.
Pedro will be the second player who transferred to Chelsea this week, following the acquisition of defender Baba Rahman from Bundesliga club FC Augsburg.
