Chelsea have agreed to sign Brazilian forward João Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion for over £50 million. The 23-year-old, who was also on the radar of Newcastle United and Liverpool, was particularly keen to join the Blues above the other two teams. All things being equal, he will be a part of the team for the next Premier League season.
Pedro is traveling from Brazil to the U.S. for a medical before completing the move to the Blues. He will join the squad in Philadelphia as they prepare to play Palmeiras in their Club World Cup quarterfinal match.
The move is accompanied by a long-term deal that runs until 2032 and includes add-ons based on performance, taking the total package to £60 million.
With 30 goals and 10 assists from 70 Brighton matches, Pedro now starts his Stamford Bridge journey. There’s the Champions League to anticipate, and he will be expected to leave his mark in blue immediately.
Pedro was not available to play for Brighton’s final two games of last season after an argument at the training ground with Jan Paul van Hecke. The issue was subsequently described by Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler as “closed” and without ill will.
What Joao Pedro Brings to Chelsea
Compared to more attack-minded dribblers like West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus or Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, Pedro excels at dropping deep into midfield to distribute play and also find opportunities through clever movement.
He likes to play in the left half-space, where he enjoys making late runs into the box. Those are things the Blues value in terms of tactical flexibility.
The signing is part of a reshuffle under Todd Boehly, following previous summer signings Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap and winger Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund. João Pedro will be part of an attack already loaded with Christopher Nkunku, João Félix, and plenty of young attacking talent, including Estevão and Kendry Paez.