Why Chelsea would benefit by cashing in on veteran winger Pedro

According to Italian publication Tuttosport and Calciomercato (h/t Daily Mail), Juventus are targeting Chelsea winger Pedro.

The Spaniard who is currently 32, will be out of contract next summer and Juventus seem keen on landing the Blues forward in Turin during the winter transfer window.

Pedro has always been a flexible customer when it comes to playing in the attack. This has been quite evident throughout his playing career, having donned a variety of roles at Barcelona and now with Chelsea.

This versatility, which has been his mainstay, had attracted Juventus to pursue their interest in the experienced campaigner.

With this in consideration, Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici has already travelled to London to meet the Chelsea executives, the report added.  

However, this has not been an entirely satisfactory season for the veteran winger, after being overlooked by new boss Frank Lampard.

With Lampard preferring to opt for youngers in the squad, Pedro has seen his chances get increasingly limited under the Englishman.

With Christian Pulisic, and Callum Hudson Odoi vying for a place in the starting eleven, Pedro has found it increasingly difficult to get some first-team action.

Except for Willian and Azpilicueta, the rest of the squad’s old guard has been mostly limited to the bench by the Blues’ new boss.

Willian, meanwhile, has hit peak form under Lampard and has earned himself a regular spot in the side after scoring twice and assisting three times in 13 league appearances.

However, it has not been so favourable for Pedro, who arrived at Chelsea from Barcelona in the summer of 2015 when Jose Mourinho used to be the Blues manager.

Since arriving at Stamford Bridge, the wily winger won one Premier League title in 2017 and an FA Cup trophy the very next year under then-manager Italian Antonio Conte.

He also won the Europa League with the Blues last year, defeating Arsenal in the summit clash.

Pedro, who is in his fifth season with the Blues has so far appeared in 192 matches for them. He has had a largely successful time in England barring this year and has 42 goals and 26 assists so far.

Having grown through the youth ranks with FC Barcelona, the Spaniard was a crucial member of the Barcelona B team before making his debut for the senior side in 2008.  

Since then, the winger has played a whopping 321 matches for the Catalonians and has won 3 Champions League titles and 5 La Liga titles with them respectively.

Having lost his starting place under Lampard, Pedro has mostly been made to warm the benches recently. Hence, it would be better for the Blues to cash in on the veteran star sooner than later.

Read more:

• Why Chelsea signing Sander Berge would be a move in the right direction
• Why Chelsea targeting Elseid Hysaj would be a good move
• Why Chelsea signing Matias Godoy would be a safe bet

Verdict

With 21-year-old Christian Pulisic gradually earning a starting place in the side after scoring 5 goals from 11 games, it looks hardly unlikely that the veteran would be offered any more chances in the future.

Moreover, it would be much better for the Blues to let him go, with as many as four wingers already at their disposal.

Hence, Chelsea should offer Pedro a chance to move if Juventus comes calling, otherwise, the veteran could prove to be surplus to their requirements.