Pedro, Barca’s forward now deemed surplus to his side’s requirements with Neymar Jr, Luis Suarez, and Leo Messi powering the attack has been sought out by Louis Van Gaal to provide Man Utd’s with scoring options. However, there are reports Pedro is not exactly happy with the treatment meted out by Van Gaal towards fellow Spaniards, Victor Valdes and David De Gea and is not exactly agitating for a move. Which is where City could sneak in and get his services should they fail in their efforts to pry Kevin De Bruyne from Wolfsburg.
He’s also found a supporter in Hristo Stoichkov, the Bulgarian legend and in Pele’s list of 100 greatest living players who is familiar with the Man Utd manager from his Barca days. Lets say there is no love lost between the two as Stoichkov called his former coach “scum” and responsible for his departure from Camp Nou in 1998. Stoichkov was traded to CSKA Sofia before ending his career in the USA after stints in the Middle East.
This is what he had to say about Van Gaal:
“Van Gaal makes players suffer, as he was such a mediocre player. Look at the players who have left because of him. He destroyed Barcelona in that era and now he is inventing something else to destroy even worse; afterwards it takes years to rebuild.”
Stoichkov then went on to urge Pedro to stay as he would stop being a footballer under the Utd manager. The narrative of Van Gaal as a coach not given to the warm fuzzies is not new but that narrative of developing of talent is getting a re-examination.