Xabi Alonso isn't holding back when it comes to João Pedro. Speaking before Hull City's visit to Stamford Bridge, the Chelsea coach put his Brazilian forward in the same bracket as Erling Haaland and drew comparisons to Karim Benzema, praising a player Barcelona once tried to sign before quietly stepping away.
"I would say so. If you count how many top-level strikers we have in the Premier League, I'm sure João is among them. Haaland, without a doubt, too. I would rate him that way," Alonso said.
He went further still. "He reminds me of Benzema in many ways. He's good inside the box and outside it, he's good when he drifts toward his left side, he's good in the air... He's very complete, he's intelligent, so yes, he's still young, he still has things to develop, but he has many, many absolutely exceptional qualities."
From Chelsea's $83 million bet to a title-winning debut
João Pedro joined Chelsea in 2025 in an $83 million transfer, and the timing worked out perfectly - he arrived just in time to become a Club World Cup champion, scoring three goals in three games including one in the 3-0 final win over PSG.
His first full season in west London backed up that early promise. Even as Chelsea collectively struggled through 2025-26 and missed out on European competition, João Pedro delivered 20 goals and six assists in 50 games, a return that made his omission from Brazil's World Cup squad hard for many to understand at the time.
Barcelona's interest and Chelsea's response
According to AS, Barcelona sporting director Deco met João Pedro's representatives in London in mid-May. The Brazilian reportedly appeared open to a move to Camp Nou, but the $83 million Chelsea had paid for him shaped the club's valuation of the player.
As the weeks went by, Barcelona's interest gradually faded, and Chelsea moved to secure their asset. AS reported that the Blues agreed an improved deal running through 2032, with an option for a further two years - keeping the same length as his original July 2025 contract but substantially raising his salary.
Player of the Month and a broken curse
With his future settled, João Pedro has picked up exactly where he left off. Two goals and four assists in Chelsea's first three Premier League games of this season earned him a recall to the Brazil squad for the September international break, along with the Premier League Player of the Month award for August.
He added to that tally in Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Hull City, contributing another goal and assist to make it six goal involvements in just four Premier League appearances.
"For me, it's very good to look behind and have two No. 10s like Cole and Morgan , so I'm very happy to play with them," João Pedro told Sky Sports.
His form has also lifted a shirt with a difficult recent history at Stamford Bridge. Since Fernando Torres wore the No. 9 during his five seasons at the club, it has passed through Radamel Falcao, Álvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuaín, Tammy Abraham, Romelu Lukaku, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Liam Delap without any of them recapturing that success. João Pedro now wears it, and so far, results suggest he might be the one to change that story.
Alonso also addressed the disappointment of the World Cup squad snub directly. "He had enough energy - more than enough - so I didn't have to intervene," the coach said. "It was painful for him, but that is well behind him now, and now we talk about our things, about what he is doing well and what he can improve."
