RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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After a deal was agreed with Brighton last summer, Joao Pedro left a training camp in Rio de Janeiro - under the guidance of his long-time personal trainer Rodrigo Goncalves - to join Chelsea in Miami and immediately take part in the Club World Cup.
Remarkably, he scored twice in the semi-final against former club Fluminense, just days after arriving at the club. He was also on target in a sensational 3-0 win over Paris St-Germain in the final.
The Blues endured a dismal campaign following that triumph, finishing 10th in the Premier League, ending the season without a trophy and failing to qualify for Europe.
Despite that, Joao Pedro won Chelsea's player of the season award and he is among a group of senior players convinced the project can succeed under Xabi Alonso.
He signed a new contract, like midfielder Moises Caicedo and captain Reece James, while Cole Palmer has also outlined his commitment to stay amid links to Manchester United. All four are viewed as key culture-setters at the club.
Joao Pedro, in particular, impressed staff by giving more interviews than any other player during a season in which there were few positives to discuss.
Multiple sources have previously told BBC Sport that Chelsea have a dressing-room culture problem, specifically with cliques forming along language lines.
Joao Pedro and Palmer, who count each other among their closest friends, are viewed as two of the players capable of naturally bridging those divides.
One of Alonso's main objectives is to rebuild a wayward culture, which some sources have described to BBC Sport as overly "transactional" and "cold".
After his front three, including debutant Morgan Rogers, scored against Fulham, Alonso said: "They need to take responsibility. They need to lead the rest. They need to inspire the rest because if they do great, the others will follow."
Since returning to Chelsea this summer, Joao Pedro has scored eight goals in seven pre-season matches before finding the net 31 seconds into the new campaign at Fulham.
It now appears Joao Pedro may be the one capable of finally ending talk and concern of the club's number nine curse.
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