Manchester United plot £22m Pedro deal as Chelsea face competition for Barcelona forward
BY DAVID MCDONNELL
Louis van Gaal is eager to add to his attacking options and has identified Pedro, who has been tipped to leave the Nou Camp for west London
Pedro wants to be playing regular football ahead of the European Championships next summer and a move to United is likely to give him more game time.
The 27-year-old scored the opener in Barca's emphatic 3-1 Champions League final win over United at Wembley in 2011.
Although United are relaxed about adding another striker, with new signing Memphis Depay able to play in a central attacking role as well as out wide, they are exploring potential options.
Much also depends on the future of Angel Di Maria, with the British record £59.7m signing wanted by Paris St Germain.
If Di Maria does leave this summer, there is an acceptance at United they would need to add an extra body in attack to compensate for his loss.
And United have warned Real Madrid the only way they will get David De Gea this summer is if they can have Sergio Ramos in return.
United have issued the ultimatum to Real and are prepared to keep De Gea for one more year and lose him for nothing next summer if the Spanish giants are not prepared to part with Ramos.
Senior United figures accept De Gea, who has one year left on his contract, will not now sign a new deal and they are resigned to losing him, either this summer or next year.
But they are adamant the only way De Gea will leave this summer is in a straight swap with central defender Ramos, for whom United have already had a bid of around £30million turned down.
United are also keen on Everton's John Stones and have a contingency plan in place for a new goalkeeper should Real's resolve ultimately weaken and he becomes available, enabling the swap deal to go ahead.
United’s planned replacement for De Gea is understood to be Ajax and Holland keeper Jasper Cillessen, whom United boss Louis van Gaal has lined up for a £20m move to Old Trafford.
If Real are not prepared to do business with United over Ramos, then the Reds are willing to see De Gea, 24, leave on a free next summer, despite missing out on a potential fee of more than £25m.
There is an acknowledgement at United of what De Gea’s heroics were worth to the club last season in terms of points and there is a belief that he could prove equally valuable next season, if he ends up staying.
The United hierarchy are also mindful of the saving they will make if, as expected, De Gea leaves, with the Spaniard having turned down the club’s offer of a new four-year deal worth £200,000-a-week.
