Thierry Henry: 'Pedro would not flop at Manchester United like Angel di Maria'

Thierry Henry has predicted that Barcelona ace Pedro will succeed where Angel di Maria failed if he replaces the Argentine at Manchester United this season.

Speculation is rife that the Spanish winger is closing in on a £22m move to Old Trafford, with reports at the weekend intimating that a deal could be completed by Wednesday.

Di Maria joined Paris Saint-Germain for £44m last week after struggling to hit the heights expected of him during his year-long stint at the Theatre of Dreams.

Nevertheless, Henry, who played alongside Pedro at Camp Nou, says that the 28-year-old would represent an "excellent" signing should the move materialise.

"Manchester United will be getting an excellent player if they can complete the signing of Pedro," Henry told The Sun. "He was the perfect teammate for me at Barcelona because his understanding of wing play was second to none. No one was better at applying pressure from out wide. It is a position that is in his DNA.

"It's been drilled into him by a lifetime at the Nou Camp and why I believe he will be such an important acquisition for United. Louis van Gaal's teams play in a structured way. He wants his players to stick rigidly to their positions and maximise their area of the pitch.

"Di Maria's game was based on running free from the right or the left. He didn't fit into Van Gaal's setup and that's why they have sold him. Pedro will be much more disciplined. He was more than important to Barcelona's success, even though he spent much of last season as backup for Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez."

The Frenchman played alongside Pedro for three years.