It is fair to say that for Chelsea this season, there has been a distinct lack of individual reliability in front of goal.
The Blues have seen their goals spread out fairly thin across the pitch, and whilst it is good to see a range of players finding the back of the net, it could also be seen as cause for concern.
As the stats show, the Blues have only had two players his double-figure Premier League goals. One of them is Cole Palmer, who has scored 15 times, and Nicolas Jackson the other, with ten goals.
Palmer-Jackson-Chelsea
With the summer transfer window almost upon us, it seems likely that the Blues will look to sign an attacker capable of hitting double figures, too.
Chelsea's latest attacking target
There does not seem to be a shortage of forwards Chelsea are linked with this summer, as BBC Sport’s Nizaar Kinsella explained recently. He listed the likes of Liam Delap, Hugo Ekitike, and Victor Osimhen as targets.
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However, a new report has broken from The Telegraph journalist Sam Dean, suggesting the Blues could move for Joao Pedro of Brighton and Hove Albion.
They are thought to be 'showing interest' in the Seagulls attacker and are one of the clubs ‘among the Brazilian's admirers’.
Joao-Pedro-Brighton
The key phrase there is one of, because Chelsea will face competition for his signature. Dean reported that Premier League rivals Arsenal and Liverpool are also interested in a move for Pedro. TEAMtalk recently noted that those interested in signing Pedro could have to pay £100m.
Why Pedro could be Chelsea's answer to Morgan Rogers
After a strong debut season down on the South Coast for Brighton, it has been another impressive campaign for Pedro. He has helped his side put themselves in contention for a European spot, with the season drawing to a close.
brighton-amex-stadium-joao-pedro
This term, the 23-year-old, who joined the Seagulls from Championship side Watford, has managed ten goals and six assists in 27 Premier League games so far. His minutes per goal involvement ratio is excellent, too.
He's featured for 1,953 minutes, and averages a goal or assist every 122 minutes. As football scout Antonio Mango has previously described him, the Brazilian is "top class".
The attacker has put in several significant performances this season and has scored against some of the biggest clubs in the top flight. He bagged a late winner against Manchester United at the start of the season, scored away to Arsenal and grabbed a goal and assist in a 2-1 win over Manchester City.
As such, Pedro could make the perfect alternative signing to another Chelsea target, Morgan Rogers. According to a report from GIVEMESPORT last week, they are ‘set to make contact’ with Aston Villa over a potential £90m move for the England star.
Well, just like Pedro, the former Man City academy man largely plays as a second striker and has impressed greatly this season in a Villa shirt. He has 14 goals and 14 assists in 52 games this term in all competitions, which included a Champions League hat-trick over Celtic in the group stage.
Rogers may well be unattainable for the West Londoners this season. Given his importance to Villa, it remains to be seen if there is scope for him to depart the Midlands. If they sign Pedro as an alternative, he could surely be considered Chelsea’s own Rogers.
FBref suggest that the pair are both similar players and the numbers prove that. Indeed, having both registered eye-catching seasons for their respective clubs, Pedro averages 3.32 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, with Rogers slightly lower at 3.12 each game. As you can see, they are pretty neck and neck in other key attacking metrics.
Pedro vs. Roges key stats compared
Stat (per 90)
Goals and assists
Goals per shot on target
Key passes
Shot-creating actions
Progressive carries
Stats from FBref
If Rogers does not make the move to Chelsea and they instead sign Pedro this summer, it would still be a fantastic addition. He is a proven Premier League goalscorer and could add more threat from a creative standpoint, too.
Brighton & Hove Albion's Joao Pedro in action with Manchester City's Ruben Dias and Abdukodir Khusanov
There is no doubt that £100m is a hefty investment, but Pedro certainly has the quality to live up to that price tag and help take Chelsea back to the top.
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Chelsea could make a blockbuster addition in attack