If you’re a football fan and don’t know the hype around Viktor Gyokeres, then maybe it’s time you stopped living under a rock. The former Sporting CP striker, fresh off a high-scoring season in Portugal, which put him among the top goalscorers of Europe, and on the radars of clubs like Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Newcastle United to name a few, was snapped up by Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal for a fee reported to be around 60 million pounds. Gyokeres was one of the superstar signings of the summer, with his arrival turning heads around North London.
Now with that out of the way, let’s drive a few miles to central London and get to know about an understated arrival in the Chelsea locker room. This new striker, who has replaced Nicholas Jackson in the ranks and is quickly turning heads at Stamford Bridge, is none other than, you guessed it right, Joao Pedro.
The 22-year old Brazilian forward had a stellar season at Brighton, netting 10 goals and 6 assists. He was bought by Chelsea to form a strike partnership alongside fellow new recruit Liam Delap, who had a promising season with the newly-promoted Ipswich last year.
Chelsea is not known to flinch on money, but their recruiting this season suggests that Enzo Maresca sees Pedro as the striker to lead their line for years to come, and he has hit the ground running, with 2 goals in 3 games. While Gyokeres grabbed headlines, Pedro gradually built his reputation.
The two strikers are at very different levels of experience, with the 27-year-old Gyokeres seen as a superstar while the 22-year-old Pedro seen as a prolific prospect.
However, Luis Suarez, yes, The Luis Suarez, has different opinions regarding the two. The Uruguayan legend, who is now plying his trade alongside Lionel Messi at Inter Miami in the MLS, talked at length about strikers in a podcast with Argentine Youtuber Davoo Xeneize.
Suarez is known and respected globally for his glitteringly enviable career as a striker for clubs like Liverpool and his starring role at the centre of the iconic MSN triumvirate at Barcelona, alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar. Having never been known as someone who minces his words, Suarez has often come under controversy for his acts both on and off the field.
While speaking about the best attackers in world football, Suarez pointed out how he had been impressed by Joao Pedro, during the latter’s time in Brighton (timestamp: 19:10), as a standout player for his club, and how he expected him to “explode” after arriving at Chelsea.
“There’s one striker who really surprised me, and that’s Joao Pedro. The one from Chelsea. I love him. I saw him a couple of times at Brighton, but now at Chelsea I’ve really started to like him a lot.”
Furthermore, Suarez called out Gyokeres (timestamp: 19:45), saying that the Arsenal striker was good, but was lacking behind and “missing something”. He noted that Gyokeres would require “a year or two” to fully develop as a striker at Arsenal.
“He still lacks the level. He’s good, but I think he still lacks the level… He’ll get there in a year or two.”
When asked to rank the best strikers in the world, Suarez ranked Julian Alvarez as the best in the world, followed by Harry Kane and Erling Haaland. Needless to say, his opinion would generate discontent among many fans. Furthermore, Suarez’s point on Gyokeres needing a year or two, is not a statement that Arsenal fans are too happy about.
Nevertheless, the two strikers we are talking about are massively different from each other. Pedro is a fast, athletic dribbler of the ball who also has good playmaking abilities, which helped him as an attacking focal point for Brighton.
Having spent his upcoming years at Fluminense, he was bought by Watford before shifting to Brighton in 2023 after a fruitful spell for the Hornets. At Chelsea, he would be supplied by players like Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez, which would make his life much easier.
Gyokeres’ career trajectory is vastly different. A journeyman striker in his early years, the Swedish international was in the Brighton squad after joining their U-23 side in January 2018. He was then sent on loan to German club St.Pauli, where he had a decent tenure, followed by a loan and eventual permanent transfer to the Championship side, Coventry City. After signing for Sporting CP, he quickly rose in the ranks of the best attackers in Europe, and now, at the age of 27, he is finally showing his potential.
While Pedro is known for his flair, Gyokeres is a quintessential poacher who becomes the target man of his team’s attack, using his physicality and precise finishing to deliver blows to the opponent, instead of being a ball-carrier or dribbler. Two massively different profiles, leading two London clubs.
Will Suarez be vindicated? Only time will tell. But fans should be excited for both strikers nonetheless.
