Having been put off signing for Manchester United the
28-year-old has opted to move to Stamford Bridge, where his keen eye
for goal and versatility should make him a key figure
Ahead of Sunday’s clash with Manchester City, Jose Mourinho insisted that Chelsea had earned the “moral right” to spend on strengthening their squad. The subsequent 3-0 mauling of the Premier League champions at the Etihad Stadium must have convinced the Portuguese that his club had no other choice.
The speed and decisiveness of the response has been impressive. Baba Rahman’s £17.5 million move from Augsburg was confirmed minutes after the final whistle on Sunday and now Chelsea have their headline capture of a troubled summer, stealing Barcelona forward Pedro from the clutches of Manchester United.
He will not set pulses racing at Stamford Bridge quite like the arrivals of Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa last year, but there is every reason to think that Pedro is an inspired signing for Chelsea. Given the relative lack of elite players on the market this summer, he is as close as Mourinho could have hoped to a player who will significantly improve his starting XI from day one.
No club used fewer than Chelsea’s 20 players in the Premier League last season, while seven of Mourinho’s stalwarts started more than 30 league matches. Above all the Portuguese needs more reliable options in his squad, and the versatility that helped condemn Pedro to two years on the fringes at Barcelona should help make him a key contributor at Stamford Bridge.
With Eden Hazard the undisputed star of Chelsea’s attacking unit, Pedro’s likeliest starting spot will be on the right flank in place of Willian – who the Blues swiped from under the noses of Tottenham thanks to a similarly late bid two years ago – with Juan Cuadrado dropping further down the pecking order.
Willian is highly regarded by Mourinho for his defensive diligence and tireless work rate, but a paltry tally of just eight goals in two seasons leaves him vulnerable in comparison to a player who scored an average of just under one goal every three games from wide areas at Barcelona.
Pedro is one of the best in the world at timing diagonal runs from the flanks into the penalty area and if Cesc Fabregas can overcome his poor start to this season and rediscover the creative form that saw him register 18 Premier League assists last term, it is not hard to envision the two former Barcelona men striking up a similarly deadly chemistry to the one Fabregas enjoyed with Andre Schurrle prior to the German’s return to the Bundesliga last January.
Mourinho demands more defensively from his wingers than most coaches and Willian’s most prized strength is that he boasts the willingness and athleticism to shield Branislav Ivanovic, who is increasingly becoming a liability at right-back.
Pedro cannot offer quite the same level of protection but this problem could be mitigated by dropping the Serb, shifting Cesar Azpilicueta onto his favoured right side and starting fellow new recruit Baba Rahman on the left of a more balanced and dynamic back four. Mourinho will be hoping that the Ghanaian settles quickly into his system and the pace and physicality of English football.
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