\n<\/p>\n
Heading into the summer transfer window, it is safe to say that Chelsea have a lot to work on. It has been another underwhelming season for them. That\u2019s three out of four since BlueCo took over. Once again, they won\u2019t be making the Champions League. And the financial impact will have remains to be seen.<\/p>\n
There has been all this positivity around the club in recent weeks due to the possible appointment of Xabi Alonso as the next manager. But if the Blues are to succeed, they will need to strengthen their squad.<\/p>\n
But on the other hand, Chelsea players are being linked with moves away. Comments from Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella have already raised doubts about their future. Speculation around Cole Palmer simply won\u2019t go away. And after a stellar debut campaign, Joao Pedro has caught the eye of other clubs as well.<\/p>\n
Barcelona are one of them. But while that interest is real, it looks like Chelsea have no intention of letting Pedro leave. Fabrizio said on his YouTube channel:<\/p>\n
\nBarcelona love Joao Pedro. Deco already wanted to sign Joao Pedro when he was at Brighton. Joao Pedro is a player that is super appreciated by Barcelona, that\u2019s for sure. If Barcelona could go for Joao Pedro for a normal price, they will do that for sure, guaranteed. So the conversations are real, but the chances in this moment, Chelsea have absolutely no intention. Then, summer is long. If anything change, I will let you know, but as of today, Chelsea have no plans to let Joao Pedro go.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Joao Pedro has been Chelsea\u2019s player of the season<\/h2>\n
Chelsea simply cannot let Pedro leave this summer. He has been the club\u2019s best player this season. Yes, the Brazilian striker has blown hot and cold at times. But for the most part, he has been the only player, alongside Enzo Fernandez, performing consistently at a high level and making an impact on games.<\/p>\n
Pedro has scored 23 goals and provided nine assists in 51 appearances for Chelsea since joining in the summer. 15 of those goals have come in the Premier League.<\/p>\n
Since the departure of Diego Costa, Chelsea have not had a striker with this kind of effectiveness. It is not just goals and assists that Pedro brings to the table. He can hold up play, link up with teammates, play with his back to goal and even has a penchant for the spectacular. There is not much more you can ask for. If the Blues build a quality team around him, one would expect those numbers to look even better in the future.<\/p>\n
Chelsea need to sign a proper backup striker<\/h2>\n
While Pedro\u2019s future at Chelsea seems certain, the same cannot be said about their other strikers. The Blues don\u2019t have another reliable source of goals.<\/p>\n
Liam Delap has struggled badly and only scored three goals despite arriving before Pedro. Marc Guiu has not fulfilled his potential, and frankly, has not gotten enough chances to do so. Nicolas Jackson will return from his loan spell at Bayern Munich and could actually be a decent addition to the squad, unless he wants to leave permanently.<\/p>\n
Chelsea do seems to have some quality options coming through the academy ranks as well. Shim Mheuka was named Premier League 2 Player of the Season recently. Perhaps they should be given more chances than they have gotten in recent years. Chizaram Ezenwata has impressed many as well, having scored 18 goals and provided nine assists in 34 games in this campaign.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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