The hiring of Xabi Alonso was not only a coup for Chelsea, but among the many reasons for hiring the Spaniard, they believed it would help convince Chelsea’s best players to stay put.
There is no doubt that the choice of Alonso has excited a fractured squad. Immediately after it had been announced that he would be the man to take over, Cole Palmer said the Chelsea squad is very excited.
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Players like Andrey Santos and Jorrel Hato have both shared how delighted they are to work under the former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid manager. BlueCo hoped it would convince players to stay.
Enzo Fernandez is a prime example. Learning from one of the best midfielders to play the game, BlueCo will have hoped that going big for Alonso would convince Fernandez and other key Chelsea stars to stay.
Joao Pedro stance shows BlueCo plan has not worked
Another is Joao Pedro, with the striker – who was named Chelsea’s Player of the Season – strongly linked with Barcelona. Deco is said to have arrived in London to push through a raid on his old employers.
But any hope among the hierarchy that Alonso’s arrival would convince players to stay is quickly fading. The novelty has worn off, especially with Chelsea failing to qualify for any form of European competition.
Joao Pedro of Chelsea FC
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According to Spanish website SPORT, Pedro remains keen on a move to Barcelona and the arrival of the new Chelsea manager has not done enough to convince the Brazil star of remaining at Stamford Bridge.
Indeed, Pedro is intent on joining Barcelona. While Chelsea are not willing to sell Pedro even if a world-record fee arrives, the striker is said to be willing to push through an exit to get a deal over the line.
Chelsea won’t want to, but they may have to sell Joao Pedro
There is no doubt that Alonso will want Pedro to stay put. When recently asked about the future of Pedro, Fernandez, and Marc Cucurella, he kept his cards close to his chest, offering a brief response on the trio.
But Sunday’s defeat to Sunderland changes the landscape. Failure to qualify for the Champions League is devastating, but failure to qualify for any European competition is utterly abysmal, and action is required.
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Chelsea will need to balance the books, and without the prize money of European football, the best way they can raise funds is by selling players. Pedro would represent a significant profit if he were to be sold.
Bought for £60m from Brighton and boasting seven years on his contract, Pedro would cost Barcelona a whole lot more this summer. Whether Barca can afford the Brazilian striker is unclear and largely vague.
But the interest is there. While Chelsea do not want to sell him, Barcelona are pushing and they have clearly got some encouragement to do a deal from somewhere, with Pedro said to be keen on a move.
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