Chelsea’s second major signing in under a week has already made an impact with Chelsea fans and Fantasy managers alike. The capture of Spanish forward Pedro from La Liga giants Barcelona on Thursday afternoon was much publicised, not least because of the suggestion that the Blues had snatched his services from under the nose of Manchester United. Today’s debut at the Hawthorns provided early indication that the move could transpire as an astute piece of business.
Pedro arrives at the Bridge on a four-year contract and was quick to reveal the influence of manager Jose Mourinho and midfielder Cesc Fabregas after choosing the champions, despite reports of United’s interest:
“He (Mourinho) is one of the main reasons why I’m here. He phoned me a few times and said he needed me to make the team stronger. He has won titles wherever he has been. I am really looking forward to playing under him and hopefully winning more titles. I spoke to Cesc. We are very good friends. I knew I would feel at home here and that was one of the main reasons why I decided to join.”
THE HISTORY
Pedro has had an illustrious career to date, with an array of club and personal honours to his name.
Born in Tenerife, he was transferred to the Barcelona youth team at the age of 17 in 2004 after impressing for CD San Isidro. His first major achievement at the Catalan club was achieving promotion from the Tercera División with FC Barcelona B in 2008. What followed for the forward was a steady rise to consistent first team football.
Pedro made his debut for the first XI in January 2008, the same season he was promoted with the B side, playing one minute against Real Murcia. During the following campaign he amassed a further 14 appearances but only played the full 90 minutes twice. Given this lack of playing time, it is not surprising to see that the-then 21-year-old failed to register a single goal or assist.
It was during 2009-10 that Pedro started grabbing headlines at the Nou Camp. In only 34 starts, he netted 23 times and racked up nine assists, becoming the first Barcelona player to score in six different club competitions in one year. The club’s acquisition of players such as Alexis Sanchez, Neymar and Luis Suarez in recent years have restricted his pitch time, to an extent, though. Pedro managed 71 starts and 23 sub appearances between 2011/12 and 2013/14, whilst last season, with Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi taking up the front three slots, he was afforded just 15 league starts, with a further 20 outings arriving off the bench.
The Spaniard managed a total of 75 goals and 54 assists in 250 appearances for Barcelona and picked up five La Liga, three Copa del Rey and three Champions League winners medals in the process.
Pedro has enjoyed similar success on the international stage. He was part of Vincent del Bosque’s 23-man squad for the 2010 World Cup, where he picked up one assist and played 60 minutes in the final as Spain triumphed. The forward failed to start any matches during the 2012 European Championships but still provided one assist in his 89 minutes, helping his country to another title. Although the national side’s form has dropped since then the 28-year-old’s international performances have improved, with 14 goals in 22 caps.
THE PROSPECTS
His first appearance in Chelsea colours could barely have gone better for the Spaniard. Handed a role on the right at West Brom, Pedro demonstrated there will be no settling-in period required as he registered a goal, an assist and maximum Fantasy Premier League (FPL) bonus points in the 3-2 win.
The display did not surprise his manager, with Mourinho making it clear that he had no qualms throwing Pedro into the mix and the Hawthorns, indicating that he had been integral to his pre-match planning…
“I expected him to perform like that because he had a good pre-season, and he played three competitive matches. He came with minutes, with intensity, so it was not a question of intensity and condition, it was a question of understanding. We worked tactically every day since he arrived for him to try to understand the team and for the team to try to understand what he wants and needs. It was a very good performance.”
Pedro’s versatility will afford Mourinho an option in any of the attacking midfield three positions behind Diego Costa, whilst he could also offer an alternative to the latter if Mourinho subs Costa off late on in matches to manage his hamstring problems.
Going on this afternoon’s display, though, the right wing role is Pedro’s to lose, which looks worrying for Willian, in particular. The Brazilian was handed the central berth in Oscar’s injury absence but the latter is expected to tuck in behind Costa when fit, with Eden Hazard nailed-on down the left.
Willian has seen off the likes of Andre Schurrle, Mohammed Salah and even Juan Cuadrado to retain his position, with Mourinho a fan of the Brazilian’s commitment to track back, but, bearing in mind he returned a mere two goals and four assists last season, his lack of attacking output should see his tumble down the pecking order.
Looking at last season’s underlying numbers, Pedro’s average of 61.2 minutes per key pass last year was a little slower than Willian (50.8) and Oscar (57.6), though his frequency of attempts (40.3 minutes) was quicker than Willian’s 45.3. Crucially, though, he scored six of his 38 attempts, which equates to a 15.7% conversion rate – far superior to Oscar (8.3%), Cesc Fabregas (7%) and Willian (3.6%), with only Hazard’s 17.9% more impressive. As we saw at the Hawthorns, his eye for goal will surely boost the Blues’ firepower and therefore help the likes of Hazard and Fabregas – who were first and joint-second for chances created last term, with 100 and 93 respectively – turn more key passes into assists.
At a price of 9.5 in the FPL and classified as a midfielder, Pedro is far kinder on the budget than Hazard (11.5) and with Costa setting you back 11.0 up front, the new boy’s attacking potential may well elevate him in many managers’ eyes. Chelsea now have four home matches (CPL,ARS, SOU, AVL) allied with trips to Everton and Newcastle in the next six for Pedro to maintain his momentum as the Blues look to build on their first win of the season. For those looking to also load up on City’s main assets due to the upcoming schedule, though, finding a balance in our 15-man squads will be vital in order to accommodate the Blues’ new capture.
