Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has praised Pedro for showing "ambition" by leaving "giant" Barcelona and moving to the Premier League.

The Spaniard, who came through the youth ranks at Camp Nou, was thought to be on course to sign for Manchester United.

However, in a dramatic turn of events, the 28-year-old signed a long-term contract with Chelsea after the Blues agreed a £21.4m fee with Barcelona on Thursday.

"We get one of the best attacking players in the world, with something that I like very, very much - the desire to leave a giant club, the desire to leave a club that normally when you are there you don't want to leave," Mourinho told reporters.

"He wants to leave because he wants something more for his career. It's a magnificent sign of ambition that he wants to play every game. For him to want to leave the club of his dreams, the club of his heart where he won absolutely everything.

"When I'm told a player wants to leave Barcelona or Real Madrid, I always ask myself 'why?', and normally there are lots of rumours and it's never true. He has amazing respect, he loves [Lionel] Messi, [Andres] Iniesta and Neymar, but everything he does he was always behind. It is a moment for him to enjoy a different life, leave the comfort zone, come to a new club, new country, new culture."

Pedro could make his debut on Sunday when Chelsea take on West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns.