An unhappy Jose Mourinho says Chelsea are ready to seize on opportunities in the remaining days of the transfer window after capturing Pedro ahead of Manchester United.
The Spain forward signed for £21 million (Dh121m) from Barcelona on Thursday, with the Premier League champions swooping for a player United had pursued for around a month.
Mourinho was asked if the arrivals of Pedro and Baba Rahman, a left-back signed from German club Augsburg after last Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Manchester City, provided a boost for his squad reeling from Chelsea’s worst start in 17 years.
Re: Pedro So Man UTD and Van Gaal chasing Pedro, and dont get him. Mourinho just gives him a call Does anybody believe that story…?
— Jan Aage Fjortoft (@JanAageFjortoft) August 21, 2015
“Normally we train very well. This week we trained better than ever,” Mourinho said ahead of tomorrow’s clash at West Brom. “Why? Because we are not happy. I’m not happy with the results, the players are not happy.
“We want to do better and the only way is to work well. New players are always welcome so obviously I’m happy that both arrived. People used to call it the transfer window. I sometimes call it the opportunity window. While the window is open there is always an opportunity.”
Mourinho insists his side did not strike a blow to United by taking Pedro ahead of them.
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“I don’t want to say we won, they lost,” he added. “The point is that Pedro is a player we like a lot and we are happy to have.”
World Cup and European Championship winner Pedro was described as “one of the best attacking players in the world”.
“Normally when you are (at Barcelona) you don’t want to leave,” Mourinho added. “For many years he won everything playing with (Lionel) Messi, with (Andres) Iniesta, with all these stars, but he wants more. I think (it) is an evident sign of ambition.”
Mourinho was not prepared to comment on his medical team after the controversy which erupted when first-team doctor Eva Carneiro and head physiotherapist Jon Fearn were removed from the bench ahead of the City contest. He also refused to be drawn on whether Chelsea would return to bid for defender John Stones despite Everton’s rebuttal of a reported three bids, the latest of which was said to be £30 million (Dh173m).
Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been linked with a £60m (Dh346m) move to Stamford Bridge. Again, Mourinho refused to comment.
“I know that (Juve boss Massimiliano) Allegri was all summer speaking about Oscar and Ramires, but I don’t do that with Juventus players,” he said.
He did say any opportunities which presented themselves before the transfer window closure on September 1 had to be assessed. He added: “Can you do something that you really believe you cannot lose the opportunity to do?”
