Chelsea hijack Man United's £22m move for Pedro... and prepare £40m bid for Everton star

Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho are in battle over Barcelona ace Pedro

CHELSEA have made a dramatic late £22million bid to steal Barcelona striker Pedro from underneath Manchester United's noses.

 

The Stamford Bridge club were locked in talks late yesterday evening with Barcelona over a deal for the 28-year-old Spain striker, who is unsettled at the Nou Camp, as manager Jose Mourinho steps up his hunt for a new striker.
United chief executive Ed Woodward had flown to Spain on Monday to try to complete a deal - but Chelsea may now have stolen a march on their Premier League rivals.

 

Pedro came on to score the winner for Barca in the UEFA Super Cup final last week against Sevilla, but was furious that he was not in manager Luis Enrique's starting line-up with Neymar out injured.

Chelsea, who are poised to table a new £40m bid for Everton defender John Stones this week, after having three previous offers turned down, have had a miserable start to the season, taking just one point from a possible six.

 

But summer signing Asmir Begovic is convinced his new side will turn things around quickly.

"We still have a strong squad. We just need things to click. We are getting our sharpness back. Training has been competitive and strong.

"A couple of things are not quite going our way right now but this is no time to start feeling sorry for ourselves. We have to pick ourselves up quickly, improve and pick up points."