Joao Pedro could be joined by AS Monaco and USA star Folarin Balogun at Chelsea this summer.
At this year’s World Cup, Chelsea have scouted Balogun and three other USA players. The striker has scored two goals in as many appearances so far.
Pedro is not competing at the World Cup after being left out of the Brazil squad, but he still had a bright 2025/26 campaign.
Balogun also impressed, putting up very similar numbers to the man he could be competing with for a spot next season.
In total, Balogun scored 13 goals and provided four assists in 30 Ligue 1 games. Pedro managed to score two more goals and provide one more assist than Balogun, playing in a tougher league, but he did feature in more matches and record more minutes.
According to WhoScored, Balogun took more shots per game than Pedro. He registered 2.6 per match, while Pedro averaged 2.1.
That is not too much of a surprise. Balogun is a box striker, whereas Pedro likes to drop deep and also played as a No.10 at times during the previous campaign.
Playing as a No.10 gave the Brazilian more opportunities to run at opponents. He completed 1.1 dribbles per game, while Balogun only made 0.5.
Who should be Joao Pedro’s deputy next season, Folarin Balogun or someone else?
The AS Monaco striker is being linked to Chelsea after impressing at the World Cup 🇺🇸
All things considered, Balogun could be a good deputy to Pedro, but Chelsea already have several other centre-forward options.
Liam Delap and Marc Guiu remain part of Chelsea’s first-team squad for the time being, while Nicolas Jackson could be reintegrated into it next season. Emmanuel Emegha could also get a chance following his arrival from Strasbourg.
A couple of those names will have to go to accommodate Balogun. Ultimately, the former Arsenal man does not need to be a priority for the Blues right now.
Pedro, Jackson and Emegha could provide enough firepower next term. Delap and Guiu could be sold.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
