Exclusive: While Man Utd haggled with Barca, Chelsea put ‘Operation Pedro’ into practice, with Mourinho and Fabregas both speaking with forward directly
Chelsea’s dramatic Pedro heist that has left rivals Manchester United red-faced was masterminded by manager Jose Mourinho, director Marina Granovskaia, Cesc Fabregas and the midfielder’s girlfriend Daniella Semaan.
Pedro is poised to complete a £22million move to Chelsea after flying to London on Wednesday to complete a medical, just two days after United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward had travelled to Barcelona to try to close a deal for the forward.
But while Woodward was haggling with Barcelona, Chelsea were putting ‘Operation Pedro’ into practice with Granovskaia conducting discreet negotiations with the Spanish club and, with the permission of Barca, Mourinho and Fabregas both speaking with the forward directly.
With Mourinho and Fabregas working on Pedro, Semaan made contact with the Spaniard’s wife, Carolina Martin, about moving to London.
Cesc Fabregas’s girlfriend Daniella Semaan has played a key role
Fabregas is good friends with Pedro from their time together at Barcelona and the Spanish national team, while Semaan also knows Martin well.
Between them, Mourinho, Granovskaia, Fabregas and Semaan managed to clinch a deal with Barca and convince Pedro to forget about United and agree to move to Stamford Bridge.