Joao Pedro has made a flying start to life at new FIFA Club World Cup champions Chelsea
Roberto Firmino of Al-Ahli (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
Joao Pedro has enjoyed an impressive start to his Chelsea career. Signed from Brighton & Hove Albion in a £60m deal at the start of the month, he quickly joined up with his new team-mates in the United States midway through the FIFA Club World Cup.
Coming off the bench to make his debut in the Londoners’ quarter-final win over Palmeiras, Pedro then marked his first start with a brace as Chelsea won 2-0 against Fluminense to progress to the final.
The forward was then on the scoresheet again in the final, scoring Chelsea’s third goal as they ran out comfortable 3-0 winners over reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain.
The Brazilian had previously been linked with Liverpool last season. Brighton team-mate Igor Julio even urged him to join the Reds last month.
“He always told me that he really wants to live in London, so I think he will prioritise what comes from there first,” Julio told Trivela.
“I told [Pedro] that he has to think about what he wants from his career. In my opinion, if I were going to a ‘big six’ team, I would go to a team that fights for the Premier League, plays in the Champions League and is always in a position to win.
“I would go to a Liverpool team and I think he would fit in perfectly at Liverpool. It's because I've always dreamed of playing for Liverpool and I would go there.”
While the Reds could find themselves in the market for a new centre-forward this summer, they ultimately never made a move for Pedro before he completed his switch to Chelsea.
But Liverpool legend Steve Nicol has admitted his surprise his former club were not in the race for the 23-year-old, who he has compared Anfield great Roberto Firmino.
“I think it’s a fantastic signing,” Nicol said on ESPN. “I actually was hoping maybe Liverpool might try and sign him, obviously before the whole (Florian) Wirtz thing came around.
“Because I think that he kind of reminds me of Bobby Firmino a little bit.
“He’s more athletic than Bobby Firmino, but he’ll score goals, and he’ll absolutely connect things in the middle of the park, and he’ll connect things in and around the box as well.
“I think he’s a Bobby Firmino. I think that’s what he is, and watching this Chelsea team without Jackson up front and with Joao Pedro up front, I thought they looked a completely different team. I thought they looked way better going forward.
“I thought they looked exciting. I think Joao Pedro is a great player.”