Chelsea forward Pedro has 'no regrets' over leaving Barcelona despite struggle

Chelsea have been handed another boost ahead of the opening of the summer transfer window after forward Pedro confirmed he has no intention of leaving the club despite failing to reproduce his best form since joining from Barcelona last summer. The Spain international scored eight goals in 40 appearances for the Blues last term but struggled to find his feet in English football during the campaign.

Pedro chose to move to Stamford Bridge over a switch to Manchester United, and that decision initially looks like a shrewd one as the 28-year-old netted on his debut for the club against West Bromwich Albion. However, one goal against League One Walsall in the Capital One Cup followed in his next 13 outings – a run which coincided with the west Londoners' dramatic loss of form that ended with the sacking of Jose Mourinho.

But ahead of the European Championships and the transfer window – which is expected to see several Chelsea players linked with moves away from the club amid an overhaul from incoming manager Antonio Conte – Pedro has committed his future. The former Barca star signed a four-year deal in August 2015 and has no plans to cut the agreement short. The news follows confirmation that captain John Terry will stay after signing a new one-year deal.

"I am really happy here and have no regrets about the decision I made to join Chelsea," he told The Evening Standard. "I am already looking forward to next season in terms of what we can achieve and putting the club back where it should be. Of course when you move away from your city there are certain things you will miss but, generally speaking, I am settled in this country.

"Is the best still to come from me? Absolutely. I always keep faith in myself and my abilities. "I'm sure next season will be a great one for me and the club. I'm really looking forward to fighting for the Premier League, which will be a dream for me."

Among the many blotches on Chelsea's campaign, along with the woeful defence of their league title, is the failure to qualify for next season's Champions League. The club crashed out to Paris Saint Germain at the last 16 stage of the competition this term and Pedro is eager to see the team return.

"It was a real disappointment to be eliminated from the Champions League," he added. "I thought we played well in the competition and so we ended up being a bit angry that we didn't go further. This gives us motivation for the coming season. We will fight in the League to get back in the Champions League for the following year and be among the top teams in Europe again.

"Has the Champions League been hard to watch since Chelsea went out? Yes. But there are always great teams in the Champions League so even if there are clubs I'd prefer to be there, like Barcelona or Chelsea, I will still tune in to see who wins the final (between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid)."