Jose Mourinho and Cesc Fabregas key to Pedro choosing Chelsea over Manchester United

Pedro Rodriguez's decision to snub a move to Manchester United and instead choose Chelsea is attributed to phone calls from Jose Mourinho and Cesc Fabregas, according to the Guardian.

The Blues are poised to announce a deal for the Spanish international in the coming days, with Spanish daily Marca reporting that the player has arrived in England for a medical ahead of finalising his move to the Premier League.

The Red Devils were favourites to land Pedro this summer as Louis van Gaal is keen to add more fire power to his forward line. According to the Daily Mail, Ed Woodward had flown to Barcelona this week to tie up a deal with the Catalan club, but Chelsea's late move saw them cool their interest in signing the forward.

Pedro has indicated that he wants to leave the Camp Nou after failing to secure regular game time, due to the brilliant understanding formed by Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar. Moreover, the club hierarchy has admitted that the player will be allowed to leave, but only if interested clubs meet his £21.2m ($33.2m) release clause.

Chelsea are reported to have made a £19m ($29.7m) bid on Tuesday (18 August), with further add-ons to take it to £21.2m, which triggered the player's release clause.

The report claims that it was during these discussions that the Portuguese manager and his former teammate Fabregas serenaded the player into choosing Stamford Bridge over Old Trafford.

It is believed that the former Arsenal star and Pedro have remained friends, while their better halves also share a close relationship. Mourinho is said to have provided assurances regarding playing time and a plan regarding his role in the team, which convinced Pedro to opt for a move to the Premier League champions.