It’s hardly new for Chelsea to be beating Manchester United to a player’s signature but for every Arjen Robben, wrested from Sir Alex Ferguson’s clutches by the former United chief executive Peter Kenyon to become a key contributor to the successes of Jose Mourinho’s first spell at Stamford Bridge, there’s a John Obi Mikel.
Nor did Michael Essien, despite a couple of sensational goals for the Blues, quite live up to sky-high expectations.
Injury restricted his appearances and United, far from mourning his absence from their ranks during what should have been his peak years, not only celebrated a hat-trick of Premier League titles but overcame Chelsea on penalties to win the Champions League.
So wait, Chelsea fans, before you gloat over the dramatic capture of Pedro yesterday.
There are, however, factors which distinguish the Spaniard from some of those who have suffered from the curse of the wide attacker.
The most obvious is experience of the very highest level of the club game.
Pedro also comes with a proven character and the willingness to fulfil defensive duties that Mourinho demands; you don’t last seven years at Barcelona, even as a squad player much of the time, without the latter attribute.
That there can be life after Barcelona has already been demonstrated in the Premier League by footballers as disparate as Yaya Toure and Bojan, while Arsenal boast a shining example in Alexis Sanchez.
The Chilean had three years at the Nou Camp and a strike rate of nearly a goal every other match has thus far been maintained in England.
Pedro, though never as prolific in front of goal, is at least as admirable a team player.
Another former Barcelona man, Cesc Fabregas, was close to Pedro in Catalonia and clearly played a part, along with Mourinho, in his preference for London.
The estrangement of goalkeeper Victor Valdes from Louis van Gaal’s United squad may also have influenced it.
Mourinho, for all his faults, is a persuasively acknowledged manager of men at this level.
ArticleDon’t gloat yet, Chelsea fans, over Pedro steal ChelseaJose MourinhoPedroBarcelonaManchester UnitedPremier LeagueChelsea wide boys: How they fared
Chelsea wide boys: How they fared
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1/9 Pedro
Winging it? Will the Barcelona man be a Marko Marin or a Eden Hazard?
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2/9 Marko Marin
Age: 26 Signed: April 2012 from Werder Bremen Transfer fee: £6.5 million Loan spells: Sevilla (2013/14), Fiorentina (2014/15), Anderlecht (2014/15) Games: 15 Goals: 1 Mesut Ozil’s former sidekick in Germany couldn’t make it from the bench to the first team at Stamford Bridge and was never a great fit for Rafa Benitez’s defence-first lineup. His loan history suggests a player on the downward slide; his club cannot currently find a taker for him. 1/5
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3/9 Eden Hazard
Age: 24 Signed: June 2012 from Lille Transfer Fee: £32 million Games: 166 Goals: 49 Last season’s Player of the Year has developed from a highly-rated prospect to one of Europe’s premier talents. Under Mourinho’s tutelage the Belgian has gained the consistency and confidence required to carry the champions with him, turning the course of games at will as against Manchester United last season. 5/5
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4/9 Victor Moses
Age: 24 Signed: August 2012 from Wigan Athletic Transfer fee: £10 million Loan spells: Liverpool (2013/14), Stoke (2014/15) Games: 44 Goals: 10 A relatively pleasing debut season for the youngster under Rafa Benitez was followed by ever-improving spells at Liverpool and Stoke, where his fine performances convinced Mourinho to give him a shot in the Chelsea squad this season. His direct play may elevate him from home-grown filler to contributor from the bench. 3/5
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5/9 Andre Schurrle
Age: 24 Signed: June 2013 from Bayer Leverkusen Transfer fee: £18 million Sold: January 2015 to Wolfsburg Transfer fee received: £22 million Games: 65 Goals: 14 Over 18 months at Stamford Bridge Schurrle developed a knack for scoring vital goals for Chelsea, as in wins over Manchester City and PSG. Bizarrely Mourinho chose to let the winger go in spite of a superb World Cup, replacing him with Cuadrado. But crucial goals and a £4 million profit make the German a unique success. 4/5
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6/9 Willian
Age: 27 Signed: August 2013 from Anzhi Makhachkala Transfer fee: £30 million Games: 94 Goals: 8 Chelsea blew Tottenham and Liverpool out of the water to acquire the Brazilian, then a flighty playmaker. One of Mourinho’s most impressive achievements has been reinventing Willian into a hardworking wide man, though he may need to add more goals to his game to hold off Pedro’s challenge. 4/5
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7/9 Christian Atsu
Age: 23 Signed: September 2013 from Porto Transfer fee: £3.5 million Loan spells: Vitesse Arnhem (2013/14), Everton (2014/15), Bournemouth (2015/16) Games: 0 Goals: 0 The Ghanaian youngster is unlikely to ever make it at his parent club having failed to impress on his loan spells. A spell under Eddie Howe on the south coast may be his last chance to show he is worthy of the English top flight. 1/5
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8/9 Mohamed Salah
Age: 23 Signed: January 2014 from FC Basel Transfer fee: £11 million Loan spells: Fiorentina (2014/15), Roma (2015/16) Games: 19 Goals: 2 Seemingly bought to keep him from then-title rivals Liverpool, Mourinho could not find room for the Egyptian winger, who has since flourished at Fiorentina. He seems likely to remain in Italy with Roma having agreed a loan deal that included a right to buy. 2/5
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9/9 Juan Cuadrado
Juan Cuadrado Age: 27 Signed: January 2015 from Fiorentina Transfer fee: £26.1 million Games: 15 Goals: 0 An impressive crosser of the ball at Fiorentina and the Colombian national team, Cuadrado was expected to challenge Willian and Oscar for a starting role. But he has failed to adapt to the English game so far and made little impression on Mourinho, who is understood to be happy to cut his losses on the winger after just seven months. 1/5
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Patrick Barclay: Don’t gloat yet, Chelsea fans, over Pedro steal ImagePublishedMedium widthThursday, August 20, 2015 - 09:41Smiles better: Chelsea fans might feel buoyed by the arrival of PedroOnSource: http://ift.tt/1HXA7mN
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