The No.9 transition
Speaking in a joint interview with TNT Sports and Lance, Joao explained his deep desire to cement himself as a centre-forward at Stamford Bridge. The 24-year-old noted: "Since I arrived at Chelsea, I made it very clear because at Watford I played as a No.10, as a No.9. At Brighton too. But since coming here, it’s something I pushed for a lot – I wanted to play only as a No.9."
To perfect this role, he closely watches elite marksmen, including Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane. Pedro said: "Today, I really like Kane and Lewandowski. I followed Kane more because of the Premier League and I take a lot of inspiration from him."
The Kane inspiration
Pedro views himself as a modern attacker who links the play, a trait mastered by Kane, who scored 213 Premier League goals for Tottenham Hotspur. This season, Pedro has excelled at Chelsea, registering 20 goals and nine assists across 48 matches.
Furthermore, according to SofaScore, Pedro's average of 35.5 touches and 10.1 accurate opposition-half passes per game in the Premier League reflects the deep playmaking involvement Kane continues to show at Bayern.
"I’m a participative No.9. I can build play and score a lot of goals too," the Brazilian explained. Reflecting on facing the England captain, Pedro added: "When I played against Kane, I paid a lot of attention to him. We swapped shirts too. He’s a player I admire and I hope to reach his level."
Dismissing the Drogba comparisons
Naturally, Pedro’s prolific start in West London has drawn comparisons to Didier Drogba. The Ivorian icon is a monumental figure at the club, having played 381 matches for Chelsea, scoring 164 goals and providing 86 assists. While acknowledging the immense legacy left behind by the legendary forward, Pedro is determined to remain grounded and write his own history without the burden of emulation.
Addressing the expectations, the striker responded: "Drogba is an idol at Chelsea. Some fans joke: ‘Maybe we found the new Drogba?’ But I try to go my own way, slowly, without thinking too much about that."
Looking to the future
Pedro will undoubtedly remain crucial to the attacking plans at Stamford Bridge. By blending his technical mobility with the clinical lessons learned from observing Europe's finest strikers, the forward hopes to be perfectly positioned to create a unique, lasting legacy and shape the next successful era for the Blues.