Joao Pedro is already a vital player on the pitch for Chelsea – it now seems he’s becoming an important one off the pitch too.
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Nizaar Kinsella has just dropped his Chelsea column for the BBC, and of course there were few better topics to cover after the weekend than Joao Pedro.
The striker’s first two touches of the season were a lovely control and a deft finish to give his team the lead after 20 seconds against Fulham. If he continues like that, this is going to be an amazing season for him.
Kinsella’s article is most interesting when it covers Joao Pedro’s role off the pitch, however.
Brazilian striker a key link between squad members
The piece says that JP is considered a “key culture setter” at Chelsea, along with Reece James, Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo.
“Multiple sources have previously told BBC Sport Chelsea have a dressing-room culture problem, specifically with cliques forming along language lines.
“Joao Pedro and Palmer, who count each other among their closest friends, are viewed as two of the players capable of naturally bridging those divides.”
There’s even a description of the culture at Chelsea as “transactional” and “cold,” probably a natural result of calling players “assets” and treating them as such. Let’s hope that a good manager and some good results, along with Joao Pedro, can start fixing that this year.
In other news…
Enzo Fernandez’s future is uncertain all over again. Chelsea are expecting a formal bid for him this week.
Nicolas Jackson is close to leaving Chelsea – the Blues have apparently accepted a €70m offer from Aston Villa for the forward.
