Chelsea Transfer News: Latest on Pedro, Top Rumours

Chelsea forward Pedro has revealed he discussed returning to Barcelona with officials from the Camp Nou club during the summer transfer window.

The Spanish attacker has struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League since moving to Stamford Bridge in 2015. Those struggles, along with Barca's own desire to improve their depth up front, prompted discussions between the player and his former team, according to an interview with RAC-1 (h/t FourFourTwo).

Pedro revealed how those conversations took place with Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu, but he played down the extent of the deliberations: "I talked with Bartomeu. But it was given more importance than the conversation merited. It is difficult to return somewhere, but you always have memories of a spell with a club."

Eventually though, Barcelona opted to sign Valencia forward Paco Alcacer.

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Those talks were no doubt prompted by Pedro's indifferent first season with the Blues. He may have scored seven goals and provided two assists in the Premier League, per WhoScored.com, but the Spaniard appeared to chafe under the physical pressure common in the Premier League.

Yet during his interview with RAC-1, Pedro revealed he's satisfied with the opportunities he's now getting on Chelsea manager Antonio Conte's watch, while he's also finally feeling stronger: "I am happy with the playing time I am getting now. It is always good to play your part and help the team with goals whenever possible. I am feeling well physically."

A UEFA Champions League winner with Barcelona, Pedro hasn't always met expectations since moving to west London in a deal worth £21.4 million. Back in January, he even admitted to finding it hard to deal with the physical rigours of England's top flight, per Simon Johnson of the London Evening Standard: "There are lots of differences, the main one being the type of game that most teams play. In Spain it's more tactical and here it is much more intense and competitive."

Yet there has been some improvement lately. Pedro bagged Chelsea's opening goal in the club's recent 4-0 win over Manchester United. It was the highlight moment of an impressive performance, one showcasing the 29-year-old's perceptive movement, deceptive pace and off-the-ball intelligence.

Like many members of this Chelsea squad, Pedro seems to have been liberated by Conte's decision to revert back to a 3-4-3 formation. The Italian used the structure at Juventus and at the international level but was initially reluctant to shift Chelsea out of a back four.

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Conte's tactics have freed Pedro to consistently drift off the flank and make more runs through central positions. It's where the former Barca man is most dangerous and also where he can best support striker Diego Costa.

Thanks to Conte's 3-4-3, Pedro can abandon defensive chores as wing-backs, three central defenders and Chelsea's two-man midfield wall of Nemanja Matic and N'Golo Kante keep things solid at the back.

Still, it will take more than one game for Pedro to prove he's finally able to thrive in the Premier League. This is a player who still boasts the talent to be a match-winner for Chelsea on a regular basis.

Now he must produce consistently.