Chelsea should sign Gareth Bale over Barcelona forward Pedro says Craig Burley

Chelsea have been urged to pursue Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale over Barcelona's Pedro.

Former Blues midfielder Craig Burley believes the Premier League holders should be signing players who can improve their first team and the Scot has expressed concerns over Pedro's role.

The Independent are reporting that Chelsea's £22m ($34m) move for the Barcelona forward is on hold until the club's presidential elections have concluded this weekend.

But Burley believes Chelsea should cancel the deal and instead sign players who can genuinely improve the team, with Real's Bale the preferred candidate.

"If you're are going to be signing players and improving this particular Chelsea squad, then you have to be a damn good player to come in and improve that team," he told Talksport.

"There are one or two areas he might be looking at in particular. I'm not sure if [signing Pedro] is going to improve this Chelsea team.

"I don't see him making a huge impact, any more so than Willian and Oscar or people like that.

"If you are going to improve this Chelsea team, you are looking at the calibre of player of someone like Gareth Bale.

"If he is unhappy at Real Madrid, and there's been talk about it in the last six months, he is going to give you a different dimension.

"Eden Hazard on one side, Bale on the other, and Diego Costa up front. That really improves Chelsea. Pedro? Not really for me."

Prior to the summer transfer window opening in July, Metro reported Stamford Bridge owner Roman Abramovich was ready to sanction a £72.3m bid for Bale, who suffered a disappointing second season at the Bernabeu.

Bale finished the campaign trophyless and at the centre of criticism from Real supporters, who felt the Welshman's poor performances were central to the club's failures on the domestic and European stage.