Joao Pedro: I was scared to meet Chelsea ‘superstar’ Palmer
Chelsea’s marquee signing Joao Pedro has hit the ground running, but he admits playing alongside Cole Palmer initially left him starstruck.
Joao Pedro admits he was initially scared to meet “superstar” Cole Palmer when he joined Chelsea in July.
The Brazil forward joined Enzo Maresca's Blues from Brighton and Hove Albion midway through the Club World Cup and hit the ground running.
He scored three goals in as many Club World Cup games, including one in the final, and has found the net twice and provided two assists in three Premier League games so far.
Palmer has made a name for himself at Chelsea after two brilliant seasons, scoring 37 goals and registering 19 assists in 70 league appearances for the Blues.
Following their Club World Cup success in the United States, Joao Pedro is determined to win more silverware alongside Palmer.
“Cole is a superstar,” Joao Pedro told The Standard.
“When I came to Chelsea I was a little bit scared about how he was going to react, because I was the main guy at Brighton.
"I knew Chelsea would be different. I said: ‘Cole, I’m here to help you’.
“He knows I can help him, and I know he can help me. We have good chemistry on the pitch; I think he feels the same. Together, we can win more titles for Chelsea.
“Cole doesn’t like to talk much, but we talk about how good the season can be if we link up. When I joined in the USA, he asked me how many goals I was going to score this season.
“I call him sometimes. After he didn’t play at West Ham, the next day I texted him. We have a very good relationship.”
Chelsea were not the only Premier League team to invest in the striker position, with Arsenal signing Viktor Gyokeres, Liverpool adding Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, Manchester United bringing in Benjamin Sesko, Tottenham acquiring Randal Kolo Muani on loan and Newcastle United spending big on Nick Woltemade.
Joao Pedro is relishing the chance to battle those players for the Golden Boot, with the Ballon d'Or being his long-term individual aim.
“Big clubs from England have brought the top strikers from Europe this summer. It will be interesting to compete with them for the Golden Boot,” Joao Pedro added.
“It would be a dream one day to win the Ballon d’Or. I believe in myself. Everything is possible. Maybe it can happen.
“It’s too early to say whether we’re going to win it [the Premier League] or not. But if you watch us, you’ll say we have a good chance. I agree.
“If we won the Premier League and Champions League, it will be a top season. And if you win titles, you can be a legend.”
