£21m Chelsea signing admits gamble at leaving Barcelona

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New Chelsea signing Pedro admits his decision to leave Liga BBVA giants Barcelona for the Barclays Premier League is a risk, but insists he was motivated by the prospect of regular first-team football.

The 28-year-old completed his move to the reigning champions of England last week in a deal worth a reported £21million and enjoyed a dream debut against West Brom at the weekend as he scored one and created another inside 30 minutes at the Hawthorns.

The winger flew back to Barcelona less than 24 hours after the game against the Baggies to say goodbye to his former teammates and coaching staff at the Camp Nou and he spoke to the Spanish media to clarify his decision to seek a new challenge elsewhere:

“Of course I would have liked to have stayed at Barca and retire here,” he admitted [via Sky Sports].

“That was my intention when I signed my contract extension. But I’ve taken a gamble because it’s what I wanted.”

“I was really happy when I signed that contract. But then I saw that my situation would not change.”

“This offer arrived and it gave me everything I needed to take a decision. I wanted to leave to have more playing time,” Pedro added.

Following the arrival of Luis Suarez from Liverpool last summer, Pedro found first-team opportunities limited for the Catalan giants and leaves the club after scoring 99 goals in all competitions.

He could face his former team at some point during this season’s UEFA Champions League campaign as both clubs are likely to be among the favourites to lift the trophy next May.

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