Chelsea have agreed a fee in excess of £50 million to sign forward Joao Pedro from Brighton, bolstering their attack significantly. The 23-year-old Brazilian is set to sign a long-term contract until 2032. He is now flying from Brazil to the United States for a medical check.
If his medical goes well, Pedro could play for Chelsea as soon as Friday. The Blues face Palmeiras in a FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final in Philadelphia at 02:00 BST.
This major move follows swiftly on from another big Chelsea signing. On Saturday, they agreed a £55 million deal for English winger Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund. This happened just hours before Chelsea beat Benfica 4-1 after extra time to reach the Club World Cup last eight.
Pedro was a top target for Chelsea, and he only wanted to join the West London side, despite interest from other Premier League clubs like Newcastle United. His arrival helps Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca rebuild the team's forward line. The club have also brought in Liam Delap from Ipswich Town this summer.
Joao Pedro offers great flexibility in attack. He can play as a striker, a number 10, or out wide. Last season, he scored 10 goals and made six assists in 30 games for Brighton.
The Brazilian made his first international appearance for his country in November last year and has earned three caps since. Pedro missed Brighton’s final two matches of last season after an issue with team-mate Jan Paul van Hecke. However, Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler said this matter was "closed."
Chelsea have a history of buying players from Brighton. Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo, and Robert Sanchez have all moved from the south coast to Stamford Bridge in recent seasons. Levi Colwill also spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Brighton.
