Chelsea £55m signing ‘better deal’ than Isak to Liverpool: ‘Not twice the player’
Joao Pedro’s move to Chelsea is a “better deal” than Liverpool paying a British record fee for Alexander Isak, according to a former Blues player.
Liverpool landed Isak, 25, from Newcastle United on deadline day in the summer’s biggest transfer saga.
Chelsea, meanwhile, signed Pedro, 23, from Brighton & Hove Albion for £55million back in July and the Brazilian was able to make an instant impact at the Club World Cup.
Enzo Maresca’s side won the competition as Pedro scored three goals in three games, including one in the final against Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.
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Chelsea were very active in the summer transfer window, signing several young players and ignoring interest in more experienced options like new Arsenal signing Viktor Gyokeres.
According to Pat Nevin, the Blues might have pursued Gyokeres “if he were much cheaper”.
“At the end of the day, this is Chelsea’s method, and they won’t buy players without a potential resale value,” Nevin told Betway.
“Viktor Gyokeres is someone who Chelsea wouldn’t touch, purely because he’s 27. It’s just the way it is.
“They’re right in saying these types of players won’t have the same value as when they’re signed in a few years.
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“It’s happened with plenty of clubs in the past where they’ve spent big on a player, and when it doesn’t work out, there’s no resale.
“Chelsea don’t like that. That’s not the model, so Gyokeres as an example wouldn’t be a player signed by Chelsea. If he were much cheaper, then they may have considered it.”
Nevin added that Isak to Chelsea wouldn’t make sense under the current transfer system, as there’s no chance of selling the Swedish striker for a profit.
“Isak is someone I could have seen Chelsea potentially going for, but if you’re spending £135 million, you’re not making a profit if you sell in four years,” he added.
“Isak would do the job for you, but Chelsea don’t look at it that way.”
The 62-year-old also claimed that Pedro for half of Isak’s price is “the better deal”, though he does admit that the latter is “probably better”, albeit not “twice the player”.
“The club have brought Joao Pedro in for half the price of Isak. Is Isak really twice the player that Joao Pedro is? I don’t think so,” Nevin debated.
“He’s a fabulous player; he’s probably better than Joao Pedro at the moment, but if you’re looking at smart money, then Chelsea has got the better deal.
“Chelsea would have made back that Joao Pedro money from the sales they’ve made this summer and from the Club World Cup as well.”
Nevin continued: “The model looks alright to me. Don’t get me wrong, Chelsea have spent a lot of money, but they’ve recouped that money as well.
“Chelsea are right amongst the top when it comes to spending over the past few years, but they would say they’ve been sensible.
“They’re back in the Champions League, they’ve won the Club World Cup, so actually, you can see the model is working.
“Some of the players they’ve brought in are great value. Estevao might be the best value of the lot.
“He’s only a kid, but he looks like a brilliant footballer. If he’s this good now, you can only imagine how good he’ll be if he keeps on improving.
“So, the way Chelsea look at it is, do we go for this talented 18-year-old or go out and sign Florian Wirtz for £100+ million?
“You’ll only know in three or four years who was right, but I think it’s a close call from what I’ve seen.”
READ MORE: Actually, Newcastle United ‘absolutely buzzing’ after Alexander Isak exit
