The arrival of Joao Pedro at Stamford Bridge is almost certain to excite some Chelsea supporters.
After all, Pedro is a forward and Brazil international. At 23, he also has a lot of potential, which Enzo Maresca will be tasked with unlocking.
Pedro’s record in the big games is not bad either, giving Chelsea fans another reason to be excited.
One of their club’s former players, though, has one major concern after watching him at Brighton & Hove Albion last season.
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Mario Melchiot unsure where Joao Pedro will play at Chelsea
For ex-Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot, after observing Pedro closely last term, the Brazilian’s best role is a free one.
With Cole Palmer currently being the team’s No.10, Melchiot thinks that could be a bit of an issue.
Discussing Pedro on ESPN, he said: “He’s got a call-up for Brazil, so he’s clearly moving forward. He’s very creative, he comes up, he sets people up, so it’s not that it’s about the ability of the player.
“But it’s about he likes a kind of free role, especially the last season for Brighton, that’s where he operated more than as a striker. But who else plays there for Chelsea? That’s Palmer. That is their main guy.”
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Of course, Pedro’s starting position in games has often been up front. In fact, according to Transfermarkt, the former Watford man has played as a centre-forward 119 times in his career.
He can also play on the left, and it has been reported that Maresca is a fan of Pedro’s versatility. It means that the Italian could use him in more than one position next season.
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Where Chelsea plan to use Joao Pedro next season
There will be debates about Pedro’s best position and where he is going to play at Stamford Bridge. Clearly, it has already started.
However, Chelsea already appear to have a plan for Pedro, which should be the case after deciding to invest so much money in bringing him to west London.
It is believed that Maresca’s plan for Pedro is to use him as a striker and on the left, so there should not be any clashes with Palmer.
Last month, Chelsea bought Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, while Nicolas Jackson is still at the club. So it will be interesting to see how Maresca rotates among the three. Amid reported interest from Arsenal, though, Jackson could still leave the Blues this summer.