Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Pedro to Chelsea: Blues 'close in on' Arsenal target thanks to another Cesc Fabregas assist

The Barcelona player is reportedly close to completing a £21.6m deal with Chelsea

Konstantinos Lianos
Monday 13 July 2015 12:11 BST
Comments
(GETTY IMAGES)

Pedro Rodriguez is close to a €30m (£21.6m) deal with Chelsea after rejecting offers from Arsenal and Liverpool, reports suggest.

The Barcelona player signed a new contract with the treble holders earlier this year but Blues' manager Jose Mourinho and former teammate Cesc Fabregas have reportedly tried to change his mind.

The winger made only 25 starts in all competitions this season and saw his game time seriously minimised after the arrival of former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez.

Arda Turan's move to Camp Nou could make matters worse for the Spain international who could seek a better destination elsewhere - Barca are unlikely to stand in his way.

Barcelona manager Luis Enrique is said to have had a discussion with Pedro and insisted that he will play an important role next season, however the prospect of moving to London currently sounds more appealing.

According to Spanish publication Sport, the 27-year-old was reluctant about moving to Stamford Bridge because he does not speak English well.

But he is reassured that will not be a problem in the dressing room as he will have plenty of Spanish-speaking teammates such as Fabregas, Thibaut Courtois, Diego Costa and Cesar Azpilicueta.

Pedro made his senior debut with the Catalan club in 2008 and amassed 58 goals in 204 appearances, one of them was scored at the 2011 Champions League final at Wembley against Manchester United.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in