Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has compared striker Joao Pedro to former Real Madrid teammate and Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema, praising the Brazilian as a 'complete' forward.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Hull City, Alonso said Pedro reminds him of Benzema in many ways.
Alonso's praise for Pedro
'In many things he reminds me of him,' Alonso said. 'Because he is good in the box, he is good out of the box, he is good coming to the left side, he is good with the head. He is very complete and he is intelligent.'
'He is still young. He still has things to develop. But he has many, many absolutely outstanding qualities.'
The Chelsea manager also believes the 24-year-old should be considered among the best No.9s in the world, alongside Manchester City's Erling Haaland.
Pedro's impressive form
Pedro, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Brighton last year in a transfer worth up to £60m, has scored twice and assisted two in the opening three league games. He was recently voted Premier League Player of the Month for August.
Last season, Pedro was a rare bright spot in an otherwise awful campaign for the Blues, recording 20 goals and nine assists, and was named Chelsea Player of the Season.
'If you count how many top strikers we have in the Premier League, I am sure that Joao is there. So I would rate him that way,' Alonso said. 'He has been top. Not just football-wise, personality-wise. His maturity, his desire.'
Benzema comparison
Alonso and Benzema were teammates at Real Madrid, where the Frenchman won four La Liga titles and five Champions Leagues across a 14-year spell, culminating with him lifting the Ballon d'Or in 2022.
'He has a very strong goal this year: to have a great season, to score many goals, and to be a nominee for not just this month but more months,' Alonso added. 'I am not surprised, but really happy with the kind of player that we have here with Joao.'
Chelsea have enjoyed a great start to the season under Alonso, winning four of their opening five games across all competitions and only narrowly losing to champions Arsenal last week. Their attack has already notched up 16 goals, though they face a tricky test against Hull City, who are yet to concede in the Premier League this season.
