Enzo Maresca’s £60m Chelsea signing tipped for shock Arsenal transfer

Former Premier League forward Keinan Davis has heaped praise on Joao Pedro and says he ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ if the Chelsea star ended up at Arsenal.

Pedro has enjoyed an impressive first season at Stamford Bridge following his £60m summer move from Brighton, scoring 18 goals in all competitions.

The Brazil international was expected to vie with fellow summer signing Liam Delap for a place in the Chelsea team but quickly emerged as Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior’s first-choice striker.

While Pedro has looked bright ever since he moved to Chelsea, he has been particularly deadly since January, netting 11 goals since the turn of the year.

That run of form led ex-Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney to hail Pedro as the ‘most in-form forward in the Premier League’ earlier this month.

Pedro’s former Watford teammate Davis has also been impressed by the 24-year-old and says it was always clear he would develop into a top player.

Davis, who also played for Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest and is currently in Italy with Udinese, even suggested Pedro could end up at Chelsea’s rivals Arsenal.

Arsenal have been linked with a move for a new striker ahead of the summer as Viktor Gyokeres, despite scoring 16 goals, has underwhelmed with his all-round play.

Asked whether he knew Pedro had another gear while playing for Championship side Watford, Davis told talkSPORT: ‘Yeah, for sure. You saw his quality in training.

‘Even playing with him, he’s Brazilian, so he’s just got that flair and belief in himself that he knows he’s a very good player.

‘He’s a good guy as well. He’s not disrespectful or anything like that; he’s just a top person. So yeah, you could definitely see that you can move on to make big steps.

‘To see him at Chelsea now is like… even if he went to Arsenal or something like that, I wouldn’t be surprised. He’s very good.’

Pedro scored his first Chelsea hat-trick during the Premier League win over top-four rivals Aston Villa on March 4.

The Brazilian scored again as Liam Rosenior’s side avoided a scare to beat Wrexham and book their place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup three days later.

Pedro has not scored since then, however, failing to find the back of the net in either of the Champions League legs against PSG, as well as the Premier League defeats to Newcastle and Everton.

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