Joao Pedro could be forced into a big change as soon as he arrives at Chelsea. The Blues are reported to have agreed a deal in the region of £60million to sign the Brighton forward, who also had interest from Newcastle.
Pedro will face strong competition for his place when he rocks up at Stamford Bridge. Able to play as a striker, No. 10 or an inverted left-winger, the Brazilian will find the likes of Cole Palmer, Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto all vying for those positions. However, it is another issue that will leave him making a big decision if his move to Chelsea is finalised.
All of the previous squad numbers Pedro has worn during his career are taken at Chelsea. The No. 9 shirt that he wears for Brighton is now occupied by £30m signing Liam Delap, who has made a positive start at the Club World Cup.
At Watford, Pedro first adopted the No. 17, which is worn by fellow Brazilian Andrey Santos, who is set to be part of Enzo Maresca’s first-team squad next season after a positive loan spell at Strasbourg. Pedro then inherited the No. 10 at Vicarage Road, a number that has just been handed to Palmer following the Football Association’s decision to charge Mykhaylo Mudryk with anti-doping violations.
Before moving to England, a teenage Pedro wore No. 23 at Fluminense. That shirt could become vacant at Chelsea over the coming months if Trevoh Chalobah departs. The defender, who spent the first half of last season at Crystal Palace before returning in January, has been strongly linked with an exit.
Pedro’s willingness to adopt new numbers when he changes clubs is a positive sign for Chelsea. Digits have been a contentious issue for Premier League stars in the past.
Chelsea are known to be brutal with squad numbers. Last summer, Raheem Sterling was stripped of the No. 7 shirt after being banished from the first-team squad. Neto inherited the shirt number Sterling had worn for the past two seasons, in addition to during his time at Manchester City and his international career with England.
Sterling spent the season on loan at Arsenal but failed to do enough to justify a permanent switch. His Premier League career is now in limbo with Chelsea unlikely to welcome him back into their squad.
Meanwhile, Pedro may hope to join his new Chelsea team-mates for pre-season in July. The Blues are understood to have beaten Newcastle to his signature.