How Manchester United's pursuit of Pedro fell apart - leaving Chelsea in the clear

For one month from mid-July when Manchester United’s interest was confirmed, Pedro was a player being talked about positively by United fans. The versatile Barcelona forward, 28, had won the lot and his reason for leaving Camp Nou, where he’d spent his entire professional career, were understandable: he wanted to play more minutes.

[FEATURE: Pedro chooses Chelsea, what next for Manchester United?]

[COMMENT: Woodward is an easy target - United fans should trust in Van Gaal]

He felt he was good enough to, he felt he needed to be playing more to be in the Spain team for Euro 2016 and felt that he was at his peak and worthy of more than 13 league starts per season.

Barca’s line was consistent: they were reluctant to let him go before their three Super Cup games as the players returning from the Copa America would not be 100% fit. They also didn’t want him to go, but they would relent if the player wanted to leave and if the €30 million buy-out clause was met.

Pedro told the club, with great reluctance, that he felt his future was elsewhere. United waited in the background. But why did they wait? To see how the season would start and how their new players would do? Or existing players, brought back into the fold, like Adnan Januzaj?

To see if they’d reach the Champions League group stage and have the guarantee of monies from there? United managed one season without Champions League football last term, a second would have been far more pressing on the club’s finances. Or because United already have a surfeit of midfield players – and while Pedro is an attacker, he could be considered a midfielder rather than the centre-forward United appear to be in more need of to help Wayne Rooney?

Only Louis van Gaal knows and his answers must attempt to placate the unsatisfied United fans who were looking forward to seeing Pedro sign. He’s the boss; it’s his decision which counts, not the fans who pick the team for him. And he’ll live and die by those decisions.

Van Gaal was known to be doubtful of Pedro’s pace and if anything can be gleaned from United’s attack in the first three games, it was a lack of pace. But it’s still all very odd. Pedro wanted to join United. He’s a top professional, one of Spain’s most popular players, in part because he’s such a decent person. I’ve interviewed him one-on-one many times and can attest to that.

He didn’t speak English but he’d adapted from life in a village on the island of Tenerife to the bustling Catalan capital as a teen and he was no home bird. And United were so serious about the transfer that Ed Woodward flew to Barcelona on Monday, the second time he’d made a trip to Catalonia in three weeks, to negotiate it. He didn’t get it done.

According to Barca, that’s because the €30m buy out wasn’t met, with United offering €25 million plus variables. They insist that United were haggling over how the fee was paid. United dispute this. But did United vacillate because they were so certain that the player wanted to join, just as Real Madrid are certain David de Gea wants to join them so they won’t offer what United are asking?

On Monday evening, the Catalan club briefed that negotiations had gone well and that they expected him to join United, but that the buyout still hadn’t been met. They claim Woodward had flown back to get the final OK from Van Gaal and that a final offer would be presented within 72 hours to conclude the deal.

By the time of Monday’s Spanish Super Cup final second leg in Camp Nou, Woodward was back in England without the deal done. Pedro left the field fuming, kicking a water bottle and then his boots. People at Barca will say that’s because he wanted his future sorted before the match so that he could say goodbye to the fans and that he couldn’t believe United were haggling over a relatively small amount of money. He’d already agreed personal terms with United.

So why did United hesitate? Woodard had communicated his talks to Van Gaal and, according to United, the coach decided the player was not worth pursuing. United also claim they were willing to pay the buyout clause – which is understandable given that the club spent £59.7 million on Angel di Maria (not that it was paid in one go) and have splurged money in each of the last two summers.

Why would United argue over a relatively small amount? United’s wavering made little sense, especially so late in negotiations. Was there a Plan B for another player? By some way of compensation, United, with fans unhappy at the manner of the Pedro deal was being played out, announced a bid had been made for Southampton striker Sadio Mane, 23.

The Pedro decision smacked of indecision and it wasn’t just United fans who were expecting him to sign. United players thought he was coming, the medical staff too. They’re baffled, but they’re not the ones making the decisions. Without a win in their first three games, Chelsea had already made their move, at the behest of owner Roman Abramovich rather than manager Jose Mourinho according to people close to the club.

So Pedro joins a club where competition for places will be very tough, with Eden Hazard playing in the Canarian’s best position. But if you’re Pedro and a club comes in for you and acts in a decisive manner, a club who are more likely to win trophies this season than United, what would you do?

A club based in London, which is considered a desirable place to live because it has trains going underground, streets paved with real gold and the traffic moves so slowly that you get to study buildings in close detail every day? A club where your close mate Cesc Fabregas plays among other Spanish nationals?

United were in for Eden Hazard in 2012 but he decided to go to Chelsea over both Manchester clubs. The Belgian became the best player in the league. United fans are hoping that Pedro, a player their club had in the bag, isn’t so effective at Stamford Bridge.