LONDON — Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso says Joao Pedro reminds him of former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema and rates the Brazilian at a comparable level to Manchester City's Erling Haaland. The 24-year-old has scored twice and provided two assists in his first three Premier League games this season and was named the Premier League's Player of the Month on Friday, his first time winning the award ahead of teammate Cole Palmer, Chelsea's previous recipient in September 2024.
Alonso, who made 195 appearances alongside former Ballon d'Or winner Benzema at Real Madrid, pointed to Joao Pedro's complete skillset. "In many things he reminds me of Benzema, because he is good in the box, he is good out of the box, he is good coming to his left side, he is good with the head, he is very complete, he is intelligent," Alonso said. "So yes, he is still young, still things to develop, but many, many absolutely outstanding qualities that he has."
When asked whether the forward could be compared to Haaland, who won last season's Premier League Golden Boot with 27 goals, Alonso was direct: "I would say yes. If you count how many top strikers we have in the Premier League, I'm sure that Joao [Pedro] is there, Haaland for sure is there. So I would rate him that way." Joao Pedro has 25 goals and 11 assists in 57 matches since joining Chelsea at the beginning of last season, including a goal in the Club World Cup final success, and became the club's first striker since Diego Costa to score 20 goals in a single season during his debut campaign. In his last 57 matches for City, Haaland has 42 goals and nine assists. Unlike Haaland, a specialist goalscorer, Joao Pedro has played as a midfielder, number 10 and winger during his career. He signed a new contract at Stamford Bridge last month until 2034 and was handed the number nine shirt at the start of the season.
Alonso also addressed Joao Pedro's Brazil omission after he was a surprise exclusion from the World Cup squad this summer before being recalled for September's fixtures against New Zealand and India. Asked if the decision by Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti, who coached Alonso at Real Madrid, had provided extra motivation, Alonso said: "He had enough motivation. He already had enough within him, so I didn't need to go there. It was painful for him, but that is in the past. We are now focused on what he is doing well and what he can do better." He added: "He has been outstanding. Not just in football terms, but in his personality, his maturity and his desire. He has a very clear goal this season, which is to have a great campaign and score a lot of goals." Benzema, now 38 and a free agent, scored 523 goals in 994 appearances for France, Lyon, Real Madrid and Saudi Arabian sides Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal and won multiple Champions League titles and the Ballon d'Or while at Real Madrid.