Over the previous decade, Chelsea’s centre ahead place has been one thing of a poisoned chalice. From Alvaro Morata to Timo Werner to Kai Havertz, from Christopher Nkunku to Romelu Lukaku to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, loads of forwards have joined Chelsea for hefty switch charges and mouth-watering salaries, solely to fail to persuade in assault. Nevertheless, plainly Chelsea could lastly have the inheritor to Diego Costa’s throne: Joao Pedro.
Born in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil, Pedro spent 9 years at Fluminense earlier than heading throughout the Atlantic and becoming a member of Watford in 2020. Regardless of initially having to deal with a world pandemic, Pedro managed to turn into a key determine within the Hornets’ assault, plying his commerce within the Premier League and the Championship and racking up a complete of 24 targets and eight assists in 109 appearances. In the summertime of 2023, Pedro headed south for Brighton, who had simply certified for European soccer for the primary time, becoming a member of the membership for a club-record £30 million payment. It didn’t take lengthy for the Brazilian striker to announce himself to Brighton followers, scoring Brighton’s first Europa League targets in a 3-2 loss to AEK Athens and racking up a formidable 20 targets and three assists in 40 appearances, earlier than following that up with 10 targets and seven assists in 30 appearances throughout the 2024/25 season. Nevertheless, Pedro’s time on the Amex would finish in turbulence, with the participant getting despatched off on April 19 for flicking his hand into Nathan Collins’ face and incomes a three-game suspension, earlier than being dropped from the Brighton squad for a coaching floor incident.
As destiny would have it, Pedro’s luck would enhance thanks to a different crimson card, with Nicolas Jackson getting despatched off simply 4 minutes after approaching in a 3-1 loss to Flamengo – his second expulsion in 4 matches. This lack of self-discipline proved instrumental in Chelsea’s resolution to signal him to an eight-year contract on July 2 for a reported payment of £55m plus £5m, turning into the newest participant to commerce Brighton for Chelsea after Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo. Regardless of not having performed in 76 days, Chelsea supervisor Enzo Maresca determined to throw him into the deep finish towards Palmeiras in Philadelphia. After changing fellow summer season signing Liam Delap within the 54th minute, he helped the Blues flip the tide and prevail with a 3-1 victory within the FIFA Membership World Cup quarterfinal.
“Joao Pedro was decisive for Chelsea’s victory towards Palmeiras,” acknowledged Fluminense legend and three-time Copa Libertadores winner in an RG interview. “After he got here on, all the pieces modified: he managed to carry up the balls that reached him and create alternatives for his teammates, and he even had the prospect to attain a aim. I believe that if he hadn’t entered, Palmeiras would have gone by way of to the semifinals. He’s an excellent harmful participant who is aware of the membership, having come by way of Fluminense’s youth ranks…he’s not simply Chelsea’s #9, however he has all the pieces to turn into Brazil’s #9 as nicely.”
Since then, Pedro has managed to place a long way between himself and Pedro and Jackson. He began within the semifinal vs. Fluminense and bagged a brace in a 2-0 victory, earlier than scoring the third aim in Chelsea’s 3-0 victory towards Paris Saint-Germain to proclaim their standing as world champions. Jackson – who appears to be like set to depart on a everlasting switch – was disregarded of Chelsea’s first preseason pleasant vs. Bayer Leverkusen on Friday, while Delap began up high alongside Estevao, Cole Palmer and Tyrique George earlier than being changed by Pedro within the sixty fourth minute. While Delap failed to seek out the again of the online for the fourth straight match, Pedro managed to proceed his stellar goal-scoring kind in his first Chelsea look in entrance of the Stamford Bridge assist. The sport was nonetheless within the steadiness within the ninetieth minute when Pedro tracked down a low cross on the fringe of the field earlier than instantly pulling the set off and firing a rocket into the underside left nook.
Chelsea will get their season underway on August 17 with a house match vs. Crystal Palace earlier than touring to West Ham the next week, and so they’ll be relying on Joao Pedro to step up and ship the products as they appear so as to add extra silverware to the trophy cupboard following a season that noticed them win the UEFA Convention League and FIFA Membership World Cup.
