"The new Benzema": Xabi Alonso boasts about Barcelona's failure to sign Joao Pedro

João Pedro pulled on the blue shirt in the summer of 2025 at the perfect moment to become a Club World Cup champion, scoring three goals in three matches. One of them came in the final against Paris Saint-Germain (3-0), just days after Chelsea announced his 70 million euro transfer from Brighton.

Chelsea endured a difficult 2025-2026 season and missed out on Europe. Even so, the 24-year-old Brazilian shattered expectations with 20 goals and 6 assists in 50 matches, only to find himself surprisingly left out of Brazil's World Cup squad.

The 2026-2027 season changed everything. João Pedro exploded into life with two goals and four assists in his first three league matches. Carlo Ancelotti brought him back into the Brazil squad during the September break, and he claimed the Premier League Player of the Month award for August.

The Brazilian's stunning performance is a reminder of how sharp Barcelona are at spotting talent. In the middle of last May, as the Spanish newspaper "AS" revealed, sporting director Deco met the player's agents in London, and Joao Pedro was open to a move to the Camp Nou.

The fee that Chelsea paid in July 2025 changed everything. It affected Barcelona's valuation, and with the Catalan club's interest waning, Chelsea moved quickly. They secured him with a new contract until 2032, complete with the option of a two-year extension and a significant increase in salary.

Speaking before the clash with Hull City, Xabi Alonso didn't hold back. He showered his striker with praise, ranking him alongside Erling Haaland as one of the best forwards in the Premier League.

The Chelsea manager said: "He reminds me of Karim Benzema in many ways. He is good inside and outside the box, he is skilled at moving to his left, and he is good in the air. He is a complete player, intelligent, and he still has a lot to develop, but he possesses many exceptional qualities."

He went on: "If we count the number of outstanding strikers in the Premier League, I am certain that Joao is among them. And Haaland too, without a doubt."

His goal and decisive assist against Hull City (2-2) took him to six contributions in just four matches. That broke the famous number 9 curse at Stamford Bridge, the one that saw Torres, Falcao, Morata, Higuain, Lukaku and Aubameyang all fall short.

Xabi rounded off his remarks about his former player's disappointment at missing out on a World Cup call-up: "His level has been absolutely wonderful, not only on the footballing side, but also in terms of his personality, maturity and ambition. This year he has a clear objective: to deliver a standout season, and to be nominated for the player of the month award, not just this month, but for several months to come."