Chelsea’s Pedro is only delaying confirming the inevitable

Pedro has delayed an announcement over his future at Chelsea. All the signs are there to show he is simply delaying the inevitable.

Not long after Spanish sources starting saying Pedro was leaving Chelsea, English sources came out to say nothing had been decided yet. Mind, there could be translation issues in regards to “not thinking about it” but that is the line the English media is taking from the man himself.

And that would all be great and dandy if it was not so painfully obvious Chelsea is not going to renew Pedro’s contract. There is simply too much writing on the wall for it still being a question to be believable.

First of all is the man himself. Pedro is all energy up and down the field. But that type of playing style comes with a short shelf life. At 32, Pedro is already pushing the limit of how his body should be holding up. The Blues could extend him for a year and see what happens, but it would most likely mirror Branislav Ivanovic’s final season.

Then there is Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi. Both young wingers are the future and are sure to have starting roles going forward. That is not to mention Mason Mount or incoming signing Hakim Ziyech also being capable of playing on the wing.

After that, it would be surprising not to see Chelsea go for at least one more winger in the transfer market. Jadon Sancho is the most heavily linked/desired even if he may be a bit of a pipe dream. Other wingers, such as Wilfried Zaha and Leon Bailey have also been linked off and on throughout the season. Striker target Timo Werner could also fill the wide role.

So, the odds seem pretty stacked against Pedro unless A: the Premier League returns and B: he has a phenomenal close to the season. If Pedro can show he has enough gas in the tank and is willing to take a one year deal, a place can be made for him. The playing time may not be there, but he would have a place at least.

And Pedro does add valuable off and on field experience to the squad. Chelsea is used to winning trophies on every level, but Pedro’s experience is just something else altogether. His time at Barcelona more than filled a trophy room and he can impart his wisdom upon a young squad. Didier Drogba did something similar during his second Chelsea stint and it arguably propelled Chelsea to a title with his minimum on field involvement.

But as it stands, it appears the Spanish winger’s time in blue is winding down like that of many others. He has been a fantastic servant for the club and it cannot be argued that he ever gave less than 100 percent for his second career club. If this is the end of his time at Chelsea, he can look back on his time without regrets and with the admiration of the Blues faithful wishing him luck.