FC Barcelona fans are in an uneasy place right now, following not only their club's disappointing performance in the Spanish Super Cup, but also the departure of longtime player Pedro and talks of a possible exit for wunderkind forward Neymar. With the transfer window now shut it seems that Neymar will be staying at Barca for at least the next few months despite Manchester United reportedly offering a £165 million deal for the young Brazilian star. (Gareth Bale, the most expensive transfer ever, was only worth £85 million when he moved to Real Madrid two years ago.) However, Barcelona were willing to let Pedro go-to Chelsea, for £19 million-and the defending English champions are already reaping the benefits. But what will Pedro bring to Chelsea throughout 2015/16 and beyond?
Pedro wasted no time in establishing himself as a Blues star to watch, scoring the opening goal in Chelsea's Sunday, August 23rd away game against West Bromwich Albion, and then turning around 10 minutes later and assisting Diego Costa to give his team a 2-0 lead. That all happened in the space of half an hour, and it gave Chelsea the edge they needed to win the soccer match-even though they somewhat fell apart in the second half, after defender and team captain John Terry was sent off with a red card.
Pedro: A New Star for Chelsea
Terry's suspension definitely hurt the Blues during their week four match against Crystal Palace, which they lost 1-2 despite having the home field advantage. But Pedro, donning the Chelsea home shirt 2015 2016 and playing at Stamford Bridge for the first time, was one of the lone bright spots of the match for the Blues. At the 79-minute mark, he provided the assist that allowed Radamel Falcao to equalize the score at 1-1. Crystal Palace ultimately took the lead back just two minutes later to win the game, but Pedro's contribution didn't go unnoticed.
In fact, the Brazilian star's dynamic performance in his debut match raises a big question: will Pedro be Chelsea's new offensive leader? Diego Costa and Eden Hazard, Chelsea's top goal-scorers from last season, are both back for the 2015 2016 campaign-and both made a mark in Pedro's debutant match against West Bromwich, with Costa providing a goal and assist of his own, and Hazard assisting in Pedro's lead-taking goal. Costa netted 20 in the Premier League last season, while Hazard scored 14-ranking at third and sixth, respectively, on the Premier League's top scorers list.
At this point, it's just hard to know what kind of numbers Pedro might pull down at Stamford Bridge. A talented footballer capable of playing as either forward or winger, Pedro hasn't gotten much chance to show off his true potential at FC Barcelona in recent years. The 28-year-old has played his entire senior career-until Sunday, at least-in Spain, Working his way up from Barca's C squad to reach their A team in 2008. He wasn't a starter for the team until the 2009 2010 season, when he played 52 overall matches and scored 23 goals. That season remains his high water mark, both in terms of appearances and goals.
On one hand, Pedro is 28 and might not be able to manage quite as many goals as he did when he was 22. On the other hand, the Brazilian football star finally won't be competing with the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar, Alexis Sanchez, and David Villa for offensive starts. Unlike the Barcelona offensive line, which was always crowded, it looks like Chelsea's offense is always going to have a place for their new £19 million man.
A Loss for Barcelona
While Barca were almost inarguably not using Pedro as much as they should have been, the European Champions will undoubtedly miss the Brazilian forward. Pedro was often a secret weapon that Barcelona used to get out of jams at the last minute. That was precisely the role in one of his final games with the soccer club, when he scored a goal at 115 minutes to break a 4-4 tie between Barca and Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup final. He'd done pretty much the same thing in the final for the 2009 UEFA Super Cup, scoring late to give his team the trophy.
But Pedro was, in the end, tired of sitting on the bench. Even in the recent Super Cup match, he was able to come to the rescue at 115 minutes because he came off the bench rested and ready. Neymar was out with mumps, and Pedro still wasn't in the offensive frontline for Luis Enrique's soccer squad. Now, Pedro has gone somewhere where his talents will probably be put to better use, and while fans of the Brazilian football star can only be happy for that fact, Barcelona will definitely miss their secret weapon.
Welcome Pedro to England with a brand new Chelsea football shirt 2015 2016 from Soccer Box!