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.
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.
But Chelsea’s manager will be expecting his new signing to be more than
just a rival for Willian and Cuadrado on the right flank. Pedro
showcased the rare ability to be lethal operating across the frontline
during seven trophy-laden years at Barcelona and this adaptability will
be crucial to Mourinho as he bids to guide his squad to silverware on
four fronts.
Hazard cannot be expected to repeat last season’s feat of starting all 38 of Chelsea’s Premier League matches if the Blues want to mount a serious challenge for the Champions League and in Pedro, Mourinho finally has an alternative that could allow him to rest his talismanic Belgian with relative peace of mind.
The former Barcelona man’s keen eye for goal also offers other benefits. It seems clear that Diego Costa’s hamstrings will be a permanent concern, while Loic Remy has his own history of muscular problems and Radamel Falcao is yet to offer any sign that he remains capable of spearheading an elite team. Pedro’s presence is a decent insurance policy in the event that Mourinho’s striker worries become a crisis.
‘Crisis’ is a word that many have bestowed upon Chelsea in the wake of Sunday’s humbling at the hands of an ominously determined City. The arrival of Pedro does not solve all of Mourinho’s problems on and off the pitch, but it is an emphatic and timely reminder that the Premier League champions will not see their supremacy ended without a fight.
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