Chelsea secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup following an extra-time victory over Benfica at the weekend.
Reece James looked like he had powered the Blues into the next round, but a penalty from Ángel Di María sent the clash into an extra 30 minutes.
The game was suspended for a couple of hours, just minutes from the final whistle, due to a storm threat, but Chelsea finally won the clash 4-1.
It may have taken 4 hours and 39 minutes, but Enzo Maresca’s side now face off against PSG for a spot in the semi-final.
Despite the focus being on the tournament and progressing as far as possible, the manager is still keen on bolstering his squad via the transfer market.
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Reports coming from the Athletic claim that the Blues have reached an agreement with Brighton and Hove Albion regarding a move for Joao Pedro.
The proposed deal looks set to be in excess of £50m and the Brazilian has agreed personal terms with the club.
With a medical booked in early for next week, it appears as though Maresca is closing in on signing another key target. Just what will Pedro offer the Blues?
Why Chelsea want to sign Joao Pedro
Maresca is looking to sell both Christopher Nkunku and João Félix this summer, with both players struggling for regular gametime last season.
Nkunku may have scored against Benfica, but with clubs such as Manchester United showing some interest in the Frenchman, it looks as though he might be sold.
Felix played just 20 times for Maresca last season, scoring seven times, but the Portuguese star spent the second half of the campaign out on loan at AC Milan.
Pedro’s arrival suggests one, or perhaps both, will soon be departing Stamford Bridge in the coming weeks.
The Brighton star is versatile, being able to operate as a centre-forward, second striker or even out wide on the left flank.
Last term, he typically operated in an advanced role centrally, scoring ten goals for the Seagulls and registering seven assists, proving he is adept in front of goal and at creating opportunities for his teammates.
Such were his performances, the 23-year-old ranks highly among his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues.
Indeed, not only does the forward rank in the top 12% for assists (0.28) per 90, but he also ranks in the top 10% for shot-creating actions (3.33) and successful take-ons (1.34) per 90.
Furthermore, Pedro’s ability to get the ball into dangerous areas is evidenced by the fact he ranks in the top 4% for progressive passes (3.6) and in the top 3% for progressive carries (3.05) per 90, indicating that he will offer a lot of attacking qualities for the Blues next term.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
It won’t be the only area of the squad that the Italian will be keen on strengthening, however, especially with the added demands of Champions League football next term.
As such, it’s certainly worth Chelsea bringing in a defender or two this summer.
Chelsea’s search for a defender
Last season, the club conceded a total of 59 goals across all competitions from 57 matches, and this record will be something Maresca aims to improve next term.
Over the same period, Chelsea scored 120 goals. This suggests that bolstering the defence is surely a bigger priority than adding to the forward line, notably Joao Pedro.
It looks as though the Blues are keen on a defender who played against them just last weekend – Antonio Silva.
Journalist Simon Phillips stated via his Substack that the Blues have been impressed with the youngster, saying:
“Chelsea have tried and made approaches and checks on a number of potential new centre back names this summer so far and still have more to look at and in to. Chelsea have been scouting Antonio Silva of Benfica all season and already have him added to our transfer shortlist alongside his team mate, Tomas Araujo.
“But Chelsea are looking for an out and out centre back and attentions have again turned to the 21-year-old Portuguese international who has just two-years remaining on his contract.”
The centre-back is valued at €32m (£27m) according to Transfermarkt, but Benfica will be looking for a much higher fee than that to sanction a sale considering his release clause stands at around £87m.
Given their defensive issues last term, Silva would be a better signing than Pedro, that’s for sure.
Why Chelsea must sign Antonio Silva
The 21-year-old played over 40 times last season, including all four games at the Club World Cup for Benfica.
At the tournament, Silva averaged a 92% pass success rate, while winning a staggering 80% of his total duels contested, made 2.3 tackles per game and lost possession just 4.3 times per match in the States.
These performances have attracted plenty of attention, and there is no doubt that Silva is only going to get better and better.
|
Silva’s Liga Portugal statistics last season (Per 90) |
|
|---|---|
|
Accurate passes |
52.3 |
|
Tackles |
1.5 |
|
Total duels won |
4.5 |
|
Possession lost |
7.7 |
|
Clearances |
4.3 |
|
Balls recovered |
4 |
After he burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old with a goal against Juventus in the Champions League back in 2022, Jamie Carragher claimed the defender was “going to be a superstar” and his upwards trajectory certainly suggests so.
When compared to his peers in the Champions League last season, Silva ranked in the top 1% for clearances (7.7) per 90, while also ranking in the top 16% for aerials won (2.36) and in the top 9% for touches in the defensive penalty area (12.91) per 90.
An impressive array of statistics indeed, and considering his ceiling is extraordinarily high, Maresca must make signing Silva a key priority this summer.
Pedro will certainly add plenty of dynamism to the club’s attacking department, but it is at the heart of the defence where the real improvements are required given the problems Maresca’s men suffered last term.
As such, spending whatever it takes to bring Silva from Benfica to the Premier League must be the next move BlueCo are planning.
If he lands his signature, Silva will almost certainly be a better signing than Pedro.
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