Pedro to Chelsea: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and More

Chelsea confirmed the signing of Barcelona forward Pedro on Thursday following a summer of rumours linking him to Manchester United. He arrives for €27 million (£19.3 million), with an extra €3 million (£2.1 million) to be added depending on performances, per Barca's official website.

The Spaniard's move marks the fourth major transfer of the window for the Blues, who previously captured Monaco forward Radamel Falcao on loan as well as Asmir Begovic from Stoke and Augsburg left-back Baba Rahman on permanent deals. Chelsea welcomed their latest arrival on Twitter:

Pedro revealed his excitement ahead of a new adventure, per Chelsea. "I am very happy to be here," he said. "I am very excited to start my adventure at Chelsea and I am here to keep winning titles. Thanks to the club and the supporters for giving me the opportunity to put the blue shirt on."

The forward released a statement to fans: 

"Maybe Manchester United fell asleep," said Pedro's agent Antonio Sanz, per Vaishali Bhardwaj of the Evening Standard. "The negotiation with Chelsea was like a lightning bolt. It is common knowledge that United were in the bidding for Pedro, but Chelsea were faster and within 24 hours reached an agreement with the club. It was a whirlwind."

Chelsea provided a Vine of Pedro's first training session shortly after the completion of his deal:

He played 35 times in La Liga last season, with 20 appearances coming from the bench. During that time, Pedro managed to net six times and provide six assists, per WhoScored.com, but he was largely limited to bit-part appearances behind Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.

In 2013-14, Pedro netted 15 times in La Liga, per WhoScored. This proves he has the ability to score on a regular basis. His pace and creativity will also add a new dimension to Chelsea's attack, and given the Blues' poor start to the 2015-16 campaign, it will be sorely needed.

The Spaniard was thought to be on his way to United, as reported by BBC Sport, but just as it seemed a deal would be completed, the transfer fell apart. The Blues took full advantage, leading to plenty of hilarity on social media. GeniusFootball couldn't help itself:

"

Chelsea take Pedro from United like.. pic.twitter.com/wunkb8Axbb

— GeniusFootball (@GeniusFootball) August 19, 2015"

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho reportedly made a personal call to Pedro to help convince him to select the west London outfit, per Matt Barlow and Ian Ladyman of the Daily Mail. The player was previously warned off working with United manager Louis van Gaal due to his harsh handling of players, according to David McDonnell and Darren Lewis of the Mirror.

B/R UK provided a first glimpse at Pedro in the Chelsea kit:

He'll provide competition for Oscar and Willian, and if last year's performances are anything to go by, Pedro has a good chance to be the starter before long, via OulalaGames (for ITV Football):

Willian has been the regular starter on the right wing, and while his contributions in front of goal have been average at best, he does an excellent job tracking back and does all the little things right. He has the versatility to play in the centre, so he'll likely battle Oscar for the starting position there while Pedro sets up shop on the right.

As a result of this move, Juan Cuadrado seems all but certain to leave the club at some point in the near future.