Many believe Manchester United lost out on former Barcelona forward Pedro to Chelsea, but one of those who doesn’t believe that is, predictably, Louis van Gaal.
[ MORE: Pedro gets chance to shine at Chelsea ]
The United boss, 64, spoke to the media on Friday and was asked about Pedro signing for Chelsea for $34 million instead of United.
For weeks now Pedro’s now has been in the gossip columns and it seemed like a formality that he would join United after van Gaal admitted the player “fitted his profile.” However, following Pedro’s decision to join Chelsea, van Gaal was defiant and claimed “I have never said that he was coming to Manchester United.”
Here’s more from the Dutch manager, as United’s fans and pundits are questioning exactly how they lost out to Chelsea on the deal to sign Pedro.
“What we are doing is guiding a process. In that process we make decisions and I think when we want Pedro it was not any problem because there was a clause in his contract, so it was the most easiest transfer,’ van Gaal said. “You can write what you want, but we cannot say what we want. That is the difference. I have the responsibility of protecting the interest of the club, of my players, and I cannot say too much. When you ask me, ‘Pedro, is he fitting in the profile?’ Yeah, I cannot lie. But I did not say I am interested in the player. That’s the difference but you bring it as if I’m interested in him and no, I answered the question. What is written in the papers is not true. You cannot know this. Only the players know, the clubs now and that is it.”
Van Gaal also brushed off the notion that United’s Chief Executive Ed Woodward was to blame for not getting the deal over the line.
“I have the idea that you want to separate Ed Woodward with me. Never,” van Gaal said. “Never, because from every day I am updated by him and I trust him.”
Van Gaal is trying to distance himself from this deal, but there’s no denying Pedro was a very real option for the Red Devils and he preferred Chelsea. There’s nothing wrong with that. It is his choice. However, with LVG trying to cover up United’s interest and denying it, does anybody else get a whiff of sour grapes under their noses when reading his comments?
