Fernando Torres backs Pedro to succeed at Manchester United

Fernando Torres has claimed that out-of-favour Barcelona winger Pedro will hit the ground running in England if he joins Manchester United.

Speculation is rife that the Spain international will join the Red Devils in a £22m deal, but the 28-year-old denied that he wanted to leave Camp Nou earlier this week.

Nevertheless, Torres, who played alongside Pedro at international level, expects him to be a roaring success in the Premier League should a move materialise.

"He is a good friend, and if he decides that England is the next step in his career, I am sure he will do very well there," Torres told The Mirror. "He has all the ability you would expect from a player who has been at Barcelona for so many years, but also he has a great work ethic.

"He works hard, he will help defend, he won't be bullied, he has everything to succeed in the Premier League.

"I think he will find it very hard to leave Barcelona, but I understand as much as anybody how important it is to be playing regularly — especially once you reach a certain age. You need to be at a club where you are playing a lot of football."

Pedro is contracted to the Catalans until 2019 but found first-team chances limited last term as Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez excelled in Luis Enrique's three-pronged attack.