The Football Faithful
·7 March 2026
Rosenior wouldn’t trade ‘world-class’ Chelsea star for Haaland, Kane or Mbappe

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Yahoo sportsThe Football Faithful
·7 March 2026

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior says he would not trade Joao Pedro for Erling Haaland or any other top striker in the world given his recent performances.
The Brazilian forward is in a rich vein of form at the moment, scoring ten goals in his last 11 appearances in all competitions, including a hat-trick against Aston Villa in midweek to halt a three-game winless run.
That has taken his tally for the season up to 17 goals, making him the Blues’ top scorer in 2025/26. He is on track to be the club’s first striker to reach the 20-goal mark since Diego Costa in 2017.
Speaking ahead of this Saturday’s FA Cup clash with Wrexham, Rosenior was asked if he would swap Pedro with Harry Kane, Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe, who are currently Europe’s three leading goalscorers. His answer was emphatic.
“I think Joao is in that category now,” he said. “Consistently in the two months that I’ve been here, he’s shown that level. He’s a world-class striker.
“It’s disrespectful to Erling to compare him. I don’t know him really well but what I do know from the outside is that he’s a magnificent, world-class striker, but I wouldn’t swap Joao for anyone at this moment. He’s showing all of the attributes I want to see in my number nine.”
Chelsea’s fifth round tie with Wrexham kicks off at 5.45pm at the Racecourse Ground this Saturday. The west London outfit have not won the FA Cup since 2018.
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