COMMENT: BANG! It was a bolt out of the BLUE. A hammer blow to all of us who'd written off Chelsea.
In the morning, it broke in Madrid: Pedro was flying to England for a medical. But it wasn't to Manchester, where United and City had been jockeying for his signature. Pedro was jetting to London. To Chelsea - and Jose Mourinho.
We did need reminding. It's been a horror start to the season, but Chelsea are still champs. And yesterday they acted like top dogs. While Manchester United dithered and Manchester City pondered, Roman Abramovich, at the urgings of Mourinho, stepped in, meeting Pedro's buyout clause at first attempt. There was no haggling over bonuses. No arguing over method of payment. The champions needed a player. Pedro was the manager's choice. And Abramovich made the deal happen.
In one swoop, Chelsea not only landed themselves a World Cup winner, but also left two of their nearest rivals scrambling.
At City, Pedro was viewed as a cheaper alternative to Kevin de Bruyne, the VfL Wolfsburg winger. Compared to United, the Sky Blues slapped in a superior bid, meeting the winger's buyout clause and throwing an extra €2 million in bonuses at Barca to convince Pedro to choose the Etihad.
But now, with the Pedro option gone, City must return to Wolfsburg for De Bruyne. And the Germans, having already proven stubborn negotiators, now have the advantage of knowing it's all or nothing for City at this stage in the summer market.
As for United, they're now trying to save face. It's been claimed through back channels that it was Louis van Gaal's decision to pull the plug on the deal. Apparently, the United manager made the decision this week. Which is strange, given vice-chairman Ed Woodward was in Barcelona on Monday...
The truth is Pedro would now be a United player if Woodward had not been so pedantic in negotiations. He wanted the move to happen. Claims of reluctance due to Van Gaal's treatment of former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes were wide of the mark. Pedro was ready to pack his bags for Manchester - and had been so since early July.
But United couldn't get the deal over the line. There was an arrogance from their side in negotiations. Convinced they were the player's only choice, United attempted to drive down Barca's asking price. Even City's bid - a clear €10 million more than United's final offer - didn't rattle them. They knew they were Pedro's first-option - until Mourinho stepped in.
One phone call turned everything on its head. It was so easy for the Special One. City had made it clear to Pedro he was second-choice to De Bruyne. And United? Pedro actually complained to his minders last week: 'Do they really want me?' as Woodward continued to haggle.
In contrast, the call he took from Mourinho left Pedro in no doubt. The manager wanted him. The owner wanted him. And they'd meet his buyout clause without hesitation.
That was enough for Pedro. On Tuesday, he'd been given 72 hours to decide between City and United - even though negotiations with the latter were still a muddle. The Mourinho call gave him clarity.
Cesc Fabregas also played his part. Pedro had seen his former teammate transformed from battling for recognition at Barca to being celebrated at Chelsea. He could see the similarities with his own situation. The presence - and success - of Cesc at Stamford Bridge was another chip Mourinho threw on the table during that conversation.
The Blues manager will be delighted. After stockpiling wingers for the past 18 months, he's finally landed one that fits his prototype.
Pedro is a proper footballer. A Pep Guardiola protégé. He can beat a player, nick a goal, but also has the work ethic to hare around the pitch shutting down the opposition. Barca were split over his sale. Those inside the locker room and on the football staff, including coach Luis Enrique and new football director Robert Fernandez, were desperate for him to say. The push to sell came from inside the Barca boardroom - and Pedro, himself.
That's what Chelsea are getting. They're taking from Barca, last season's European champions, a player the club's football department wanted to keep.
Van Gaal may not have fancied him, but Enrique and Messi did. And so does Mourinho - who has reminded us all in the last 24 hours that Chelsea are still the reigning champs.
