Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has delivered a glowing verdict on Joao Pedro, insisting the Brazilian forward belongs in the same conversation as Europe’s elite strikers and declaring: “I wouldn’t swap him for anyone.”
“I wouldn’t swap him for anyone” – Rosenior puts Chelsea star among Europe’s best
The 24-year-old announced himself on the big stage with a stunning hat-trick against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Wednesday, taking his season tally to 17 goals.
Despite sitting eight goals behind Erling Haaland in the Premier League Golden Boot race, Pedro has achieved his total without taking a single penalty this campaign.
Rosenior believes that statistic alone proves his striker deserves recognition alongside the very best.
“Joao is in that category now,” Rosenior said.
“In the two months I’ve been here, he has consistently shown he is a world-class striker.”
The Chelsea boss carefully navigated comparisons with Manchester City’s Norwegian goal machine but made his admiration clear.
“I talk about my players. It’s disrespectful to Erling to compare them.
I don’t know Erling very well, but from the outside he looks a magnificent, world-class striker,” Rosenior explained.
However, when pushed on whether he would swap his man for any other forward in Europe, the Chelsea head coach left no room for doubt.
“I wouldn’t swap Joao for anyone at this moment. He is showing all the qualities and attributes I want to see.”
Rosenior also emphasised that the best is yet to come from his star striker, with Pedro setting his sights on reaching 20 goals before the season ends.
“The great thing for Joao is his age. He can still improve, and I’ve already noticed several areas where he can get better,” Rosenior added.
“But the level he’s operating at now is world class, and it’s my job, the club’s job and his job to keep him there.”
Pedro will hope to add to his tally when Chelsea visit Wrexham in the FA Cup on Saturday, though Rosenior faces a selection dilemma.
Liam Delap and Marc Guiu both push for starting places, with Delap catching Rosenior’s eye after their previous work together and Guiu impressing on the head coach’s managerial debut against Charlton Athletic.
