He'll take Pedro to the next level: Chelsea make offer to sign £86m star
da betsul: While the jury might still be out for some when it comes to the competition itself, there is no doubt that Chelsea were worthy winners of the Club World Cup.
da dobrowin: Enzo Maresca’s men impressed in almost every game they played, and saved their best performance for the final, in which they made Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain look totally out of their depth.
Aside from the out-of-this-world Cole Palmer, one of the Blues’ best players in the last few games was Joao Pedro, who scored three goals in three games.
So, fans should be delighted by the news that the club are looking to sign another international who could help the Brazilian reach another level entirely.
Chelsea's transfer business so far
On top of blowing away the competition on the pitch this summer, Chelsea have been just as impressive off it, in the transfer market.
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They’ve managed to ship off the likes of Noni Madueke to Arsenal for £52m and Đorđe Petrović to Bournemouth for £25m, while spending £60m on Pedro, £30m on Liam Delap and £48m on Jamie Gittens.
However, the Conference League champions aren’t done there, not even close, as they now appear keen on landing an international superstar who could help the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace get even better.
At least that’s according to a recent report from Spain, which claims that Chelsea are now interested in Rodrygo.
In fact, the report goes a step further than that, revealing that the Blues have already made an offer for the Brazilian – a straight swap for Nicolas Jackson.
The proposal has yet to be shot down, but the report states that Real would rather receive a fee for the player they value at €100m, which is approximately £86m.
Even if Chelsea have to splash the cash to get their man this summer, they should, as Rodrygo’s a proven winner and someone who could help Pedro get even better.
Why Rodrygo would make Pedro better
Now, there are quite a few reasons why Rodrygo could help Pedro reach another level at Chelsea next season, and one of the most significant is his output.
Since the start of the 23/24 season, the “world-class superstar,” as dubbed by Luka Modrić, has found the back of the net on 31 occasions and provided 20 assists in 105 appearances, totalling 7159 minutes.
That means the former Santos gem has been averaging a goal involvement every 2.05 games, or every 140.37 minutes across the last two years, which is undoubtedly impressive.
Rodrygo’s recent record
Season
23/24
24/25
Appearances
51
54
Minutes
3707′
3452′
Goals
17
14
Assists
9
11
Goal Involvements per Match
0.50
0.46
Minutes per Goal Involvement
142.57′
138.08′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
What makes those numbers even more impressive is that he has rarely played in his favoured position off the left across the last two seasons, so just imagine how much more effective he could be regularly starting there.
This regular supply of goals and chances to his left would undoubtedly see the former Brighton star’s own goal and assist tally soar next season, especially as he proved himself to be particularly clinical last year, scoring ten league goals from an expected goals figure of just 8.86.
Furthermore, the former Santos gem has also won all there is to win in the club game, securing two La Liga and two Champions League titles in the Spanish capital.
In other words, he has what it takes to win and should hopefully impart the right mindset to those around him, like his compatriot, and help them win major silverware at some point in the coming years.
Finally, the fact that they’re both Brazilian is also a significant bonus, as establishing a place for himself in the national team will give Pedro and the Real star even more opportunities to develop a deep understanding of one another’s game.
Ultimately, it might cost them a substantial sum of money, but Chelsea should do everything possible to sign Rodrygo this summer.
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