Pedro Pedro wants to win trophies at Chelsea after being convinced to move to the Premier League champions by Jose Mourinho and Cesc Fabregas.The 28-year-old on Thursday signed a four-year deal after the Blues agreed a £21.4million (30 million euros) fee with Barcelona, with £2.1million of the payment being performance-related add-ons.CHELSEA SIGN PEDRO AND BARCELONA RELEASE VIDEO TRIBUTE TO THANK HIMThe Spain winger, who had been a target of Manchester United, immediately trained with his new team-mates at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground and could make his debut in Sunday’s match at West Brom.It was Mourinho and former Barcelona playmaker Fabregas, whose first season at Stamford Bridge ended with a Premier League and Capital One Cup double, who persuaded Pedro to join the Blues.Pedro said on chelseafc.com: “He [Mourinho] is one of the main reasons why I’m here. He phoned me a few times and said he needed me to make the team stronger.“He has won titles wherever he has been. I am really looking forward to playing under him and hopefully winning more titles.“I spoke to Cesc. We are very good friends. I knew I would feel at home here and that was one of the main reasons why I decided to join.“He’s a great player, he’s got brilliant vision and he links up really well with the other attacking players. I know we work well together on the pitch so I can’t wait to play with him again.“I have also played with Diego Costa and Cesar Azpilicueta before, for the national team, so I feel very comfortable here.” 1
Month: December 2019
Former England international Terry Butcher leaves Newport County
Manager Terry Butcher has left Sky Bet League Two strugglers Newport with immediate effect.The south Wales outfit are rooted to the bottom of the table after winning only one of their opening 10 league games.Butcher, a former England international, only joined the club in April but he will be followed out of the exit door by his assistant manager Russell Osman and the club’s chief scout Steve Marsella.A statement on Newport’s website read: “After Tuesday’s defeat against Crawley Town, the club can announce that manager Terry Butcher has today left the club with immediate effect.“Newport County AFC would like to thank Terry and his staff for their efforts during their time at the club and wish them every success for the future“The club hopes to make an announcement on a successor prior to Saturday’s fixture against Exeter City. The club will be offering no further comment at the present time.” Terry Butcher 1
Dynamo boss will be powerless to stop star man joining Arsenal or Chelsea
The future of Dynamo Kiev star Andriy Yarmolenko will be decided by the player’s president.The 26-year-old winger is interesting both Arsenal and Chelsea, and Jose Mourinho will get another chance to see him close up when they Blues host Kiev on Wednesday night.Dynamo head coach – the former Tottenham and West Ham striker Serhiy Rebrov – says he wants to keep the Ukraine international. But he admits the final decision will be made by the club’s powerful owner and president Ihor Surkis.“He’s a very high level footballer but we do not build our game around him,” Rebrov said about his star attraction.“I can see his progress and that other teams are interested in him but it all depends on his relationship with the president.“If you are asking me then I don’t want to sell the player, I want to keep him in the team but, at the end of the day, it’s all about the relationship with the president.” 1 Andriy Yarmolenko
Red-hot Ighalo will NOT leave Watford in January, insists Quique Sanchez Flores
1 Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores insists in-form frontman Odion Ighalo will NOT be leaving the club in January.The Hornets boss hailed the ‘clever’ 26-year-old Nigerian’s decision to stay with the club in the summer, after going on to fire 12 goals in 17 Premier League appearances.Ighalo’s brace sunk Liverpool in Sunday’s 3-0 win at Vicarage Road, leaving Watford toasting four consecutive top-flight victories for the first time since 1987.And Flores is adament Ighalo will stay at the side until the end of the season, even though his top form will doubtless attract a string of suitors.“I think Ighalo is completely clever, he chose five months ago the option to stay here with Watford,” said Flores.“He chose to stay here because he imagined something special for him. It’s very clever, he knew perfectly it was the best option for him. I think he’ll finish the season with Watford, after that anybody knows.“We have amazing strikers, but we have the facility to score every single match because we create attempts.“I admire these players because we create a plan, then they supersede the expectation I create before the match.”Watford’s eighth win of the season lifts the Hornets to within just one point of the Premier League’s coveted top four, but Flores is refusing to change his pre-season expectations.The former Getafe manager continues to target 40 points to ensure top-flight survival.“No, it would be a very big mistake to change our thinking,” said Flores. “It’s not clever: no, no, no. We have to keep the continuity.“The idea in the club is very clear. We’re just thinking about the need to grow.“We need to establish ourselves in the Premier League, this is what we need. We are evolving with this idea, so to lose perspective would be very bad for us.” Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores with striker Odion Ighalo
Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink cautious of club’s striking situation
Guus Hiddink admits Chelsea could be caught short if Diego Costa and Loic Remy are struck down by injury, but would not be drawn on the Blues strengthening their strike options.Costa has shaken off a bruised knee to be fit to start Wednesday’s Premier League clash with West Brom, while Remy could be in the squad following a calf problem. It is uncertain when Radamel Falcao will return from his thigh injury.“We must not go into this danger if something happens with one or two strikers,” Hiddink said.But the Dutchman refused to comment on any transfer speculation, with Baggies striker Saido Berahino among those to be linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in recent weeks and months.“The window opens and the mouth shuts so we don’t have interest in this moment,” Hiddink added.“We are thinking. When you think, you don’t speak normally.“If, suppose something is going on, it can be harmful when you go public.”When Costa, who has scored four goals in four games since Hiddink’s predecessor Jose Mourinho left after a prior barren spell, and Remy are fit, Chelsea have what they need, Hiddink says.A departure for Remy this month was ruled out, but Hiddink wants to see more from the Frenchman.“He will stay until the end of the season,” said Hiddink, who has seen little of Remy “because he repeatedly fell into injury”.He added: “I am curious. I hope Remy picks it up. I hope he will deliver if he is needed.” Guus Hiddink 1
Gary Hooper signs permanent Sheffield Wednesday deal
1 Norwich have confirmed the exit of striker Gary Hooper, who sealed a permanent move to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday.The 27-year-old joined the Owls in a three-month loan deal earlier this season after falling out of favour at Carrow Road, and scored six goals in 13 games.He returned to the Canaries on January 17 but has now returned to the Yorkshire club, signing a three-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee.Hooper joined Norwich from Celtic in the summer of 2013, after a prolific goalscoring run for the Scottish giants.But the former Southend United hitman struggled to adjust on his return to English football, managing just eight goals in his first season.He went on to make 70 appearances for the Canaries, and scored a total of 20 goals. Gary Hooper
Steward sacked for calling Chelsea player a ‘snake’
1 A steward was sacked by Chelsea for calling former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas a “snake”.Video of the Stamford Bridge incident, which took place earlier this season, emerged online on Friday and Chelsea confirmed action had been taken against the steward.“You’re a snake, you’re Arsenal,” the steward says to the Spain midfielder in the video, which has been widely shared on social network sites.Fabregas returns to his former club with Chelsea in the Barclays Premier League on Sunday. Cesc Fabregas
Arsenal transfer news: Striker deal completed
Charlton Athletic have signed Yaya Sanogo from Arsenal on loan until the end of the season.The French striker had been with Ajax after a summer deal but failed to make an impact in the Eredivisie, former Dutch international Ronald de Boer claimed the player had ‘no qualities’.But the Addicks have swooped for the striker who joined the Gunners in 2013 from Auxerre and will hope he can fire them away from the relegation zone. Yaya Sanogo in action for Ajax 1
A WINDOW TO `ASSASSINS’


Auto show protesters put Toyota in hot seat
Fuel economy numbers haven’t been released, but Carter said they’ll improve by about 12 percent over the old model, or 2 to 3 miles per gallon. The current Sequoia gets around 15 miles per gallon in the city, compared with 21 miles per gallon for the new hybrids from Chrysler and GM, including the Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen SUVs, the Chevrolet Tahoe SUV and Chevrolet Silverado pickup. Carter said Toyota plans to offer hybrid versions of every vehicle in its lineup and is also studying combinations such as hybrid diesels. But it hasn’t managed to develop a system that works well in large trucks like GM and Chrysler did in their consortium with Daimler and BMW. “We’re not there yet. There’s no technology to meet all our customers’ needs,” he said.160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREStriving toward a more perfect me: Doug McIntyre A handful of protesters also picketed Toyota outside the show and planned further protests today. After the spat, Carter said Toyota and environmentalists have more in common than not, and that Toyota supports tougher fuel economy standards but doesn’t want them decided at the state level. “We believe it’s best applied at the federal level,” he said. “We’re a full-line manufacturer and we want to meet consumer needs.” He added that despite the rise in fuel prices, many U.S. buyers simply need the utility and space of a full-size SUV. The Sequoia has a new 5.7-liter, V8 engine that is more powerful – at 381 horsepower – and more fuel efficient than the old engine. It also has improved aerodynamics to save fuel, and the company plans to introduce an ethanol-capable version in the fall of 2008. Pricing wasn’t announced for the new Sequoia, which goes on sale in December. Toyota Motor Corp. is usually the darling of the Los Angeles Auto Show, but testy relations with environmentalists and questions about quality are making the show a headache for the automaker this year. It doesn’t help that Toyota chose to introduce a full-size sport utility vehicle at the show, and the redesigned Sequoia doesn’t have a hybrid option like full-size SUVs from General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC debuting across the show floor. The Los Angeles show opens to the public Friday after two days of media previews. After the Sequoia was introduced Wednesday, an environmental activist with a video camera approached Bob Carter, Toyota’s general manager for U.S. sales, and asked why the company won’t withdraw from a lawsuit against California, which has sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish tougher fuel economy rules. Carter refused to answer and knocked the camera out of Brent Olson’s hands. Olson, of San Francisco-based Rainforest Action Network, was eventually led away by two policemen.