In light of the impending arrival of Pedro from Barcelona, earlier today Craig Burley told Talksport that Chelsea aren’t aiming high enough in the summer transfer window and should refocus on other targets.
I’m not sure if Pedro is going to improve this Chelsea team. If you are going to improve this team, you are looking at the calibre of player like Gareth Bale.
Here we explain why a deal for the Spanish international could actually prove to be the better option.
Pedro would flourish with regular first team football
Due to the fact that Pedro has always had players like Lionel Messi, Neymar and Iniesta ahead of him in the pecking order at the Camp Nou, he has never been able to hold down a place in the starting line-up.
Arguably, Pedro would have walked into most other teams in European football over the last 5-6 years. When he starts games, Pedro slots in seamlessly among the biggest names.
He also dutifully delivers when he doesn’t start and often makes a big impact from the bench. It’s not too much of a stretch to imagine that he would improve dramatically with a season of first team football at another top club.
Conversely, it’s entirely possible that we’ve already seen the best of Bale. Though he is two years younger, Bale may not have the capacity to recapture the form that justified his eye watering £80m transfer fee two years ago.
Pedro doesn’t have too many miles on the clock
Most experienced wingers at top European sides will have faced season after season of relentless 50+ game campaigns, interspersed with draining summers at international tournaments.
That level of strain can gradually eat away at a player’s performances when they approach the age of 30.
In the same way that many people believe Didier’s Drogba’s longevity was a result of his late arrival to the professional game, Pedro’s lack of exposure to the rigours of full, arduous league campaigns could mean he still has his best years ahead of him.
Bale has been playing first team football week-in-week-out for nearly 10 years and has regularly struggled with injuries. In the past, Chelsea made the mistake of signing big name players on downward trajectories including the likes of Andriy Shevchenko and Fernando Torres. They will be keen to avoid similar situations in the future and a deal for Bale presents an all too familiar risk.
£22m is a bargain for a player of Pedro’s pedigree
Thiago Alcantara left for Bayern Munich a couple of years ago for around £22m. Though he has suffered with injuries since, when Alcantara has been fit enough to enjoy a run in the Bayern side, he has expressed his obvious qualities in ways he wasn’t able to at Barcelona. Pep Guardiola is showing faith in the youngster and the signs are that he intends to build the Bayern midfield around him this year.
In the same vein, Barcelona can’t demand more than £22m for Pedro due to the fact that he isn’t a first choice pick at the Camp Nou. If the Catalans weren’t blessed with some of the most indefatigable talents in world football, Pedro would have built his reputation over the years and would now be commanding a higher fee.
A deal for Gareth Bale would necessitate an absurd transfer fee and a pay packet that could potentially cause discontent among the Chelsea squad. The actual value of having Bale in the side, compared to the insane outlay necessary to capture and keep him would be hard to justify in any context.
Bottom line; Bale is a better player than Pedro, right?
At his best, Bale is one of the best players in the world. He certainly showed glimpses of his quality in his first season at Madrid when he helped his side capture their 10th European Cup.
However, Pedro could be prove to be equally effective within the right system. Any player who has the patience to persist at Barcelona in the face of such stern competition for places deserves respect.
The question is, would Gareth Bale start in the current Barcelona side or would he also be fourth or fifth choice behind Suarez, Neymar, Messi and Iniesta?
Taking the club context into account, Pedro may actually be as talented and valuable as Bale, just not as heavily exposed. While the Welshman has earned his reputation over the last 10 years, Pedro has been operating in a unique atmosphere among the footballing gods.
Whether it would be better for Chelsea to try and sign Bale or Pedro is still up for debate; however, it’s not quite the open and shut case many people suggest.
