Emile Heskey says he’s been ‘blown away’ by one Premier League summer signing

Emile Heskey has been seriously impressed by one summer signing (Picture: Getty)

Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey admitted he has been ‘blown away’ by one Premier League summer signing who has hit the ground running this season.

Clubs in the English top flight smashed through the £3billion mark in the transfer window in what proved a record-breaking summer for spending.

Liverpool broke the British record on two occasions in the window, first for Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz, and then again on deadline day for Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak.

Arsenal, meanwhile, recorded the highest net spend, with the Gunners splashing £246m on eight new players for Mikel Arteta’s squad.

And despite bringing 11 new players through the door, Chelsea have made a bright start to their second season under Enzo Maresca and are one of just three teams to still be unbeaten after three games.

The Blues have a new-look attack after the arrivals of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro and the departure of Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich.

And it is the Brazilian international who has caught the eye of Heskey after a fast start to life in west London, which has seen him rack up two goals and two assists in his first three league games.

Joao Pedro has made a fast start to life at Chelsea (Picture: Getty)

‘Joao Pedro has done really well, I’ve been blown away by how quickly he’s hit the ground running,’ Heskey told Metro on behalf of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Expert Picks and Predictions.

‘Sure, he knows the league, but you never know how these moves are going to go, and he’s hit the ground running and given Chelsea a different dynamic.

‘You have to remember that Chelsea have been spoilt for strikers over the years with players like (Didier) Drogba, (Diego) Costa and even back to Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Eidur Gudjohnsen.

‘And then suddenly they have a few quiet years and everyone is wondering where the next one is coming from.

‘That number nine shirt becomes a bit of a burden, but in Joao Pedro, they seem to have a striker that looks like he’s enjoying his football and that pressure.

‘He’s playing with a smile on his face and enjoying being out there.’

‘Slot will find balance between Isak and Ekitike’

Hugo Ekitike faces a battle for his position after Alexander Isak’s arrival (Picture: Getty)

Despite Chelsea’s encouraging start to this season, defending champions Liverpool remain the team to beat having won their opening three games of the season.

Summer signing Hugo Ekitike has made a particularly bright start to life in Arne Slot’s side, with two goals and one assist in his first three games.

The Frenchman’s minutes could now be compromised after the arrival of Isak, but Heskey has backed Slot to find the right balance and ensure both strikers thrive under his tutelage.

‘He’s looked bright, he’s looked hungry, he’s given us something different but crucially, he’s scored goals,’ Heskey said of Ekitike.

‘The reality is, you can look as bright as you want but without the goals, everyone is going to question you. It’s great to see that he’s doing that.

‘How do you find a balance? I can see them both pushing each other. There are that many games over the course of the season that I can see them sharing that workload, but it’s going to be interesting.

‘I had a discussion today about whether they could play them both together. It probably wouldn’t work in an old-school 4-4-2 with the players they have in the squad, but I’m sure they can find a system.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Comments