Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca isn’t resting on his laurels in the transfer market as he attempts to get several deals done swiftly.
Jamie Gittens looks to be closing in on a move to Stamford Bridge. Borussia Dortmund accepted a bid of around £55m for the English talent, and he is set to have his medical soon.
jamie-gittens-borussia-dortmund-bundesliga
The move for the 20-year-old is certainly a statement of intent by Maresca, but the Blues are also closing in on another attacking player.
Indeed, Joao Pedro looks set to make the move from Brighton and Hove Albion to Chelsea, as the Blues have agreed a deal worth up to £60m for the versatile forward.
Joao Pedro 2024-25 stats (timeless)
Why Chelsea are signing Joao Pedro
Maresca will be looking to move on both Christoper Nkunku and João Felix during the summer transfer window.
As such, bringing in a versatile forward like Pedro makes perfect sense. He may have scored just ten goals in the top flight last season, but his attributes stretch to more than just finding the back of the net.
Brighton forward Joao Pedro
Indeed, he demonstrated his creative side by registering 11 big chances in the top flight, along with averaging 1.1 key passes and 1.1 successful dribbles per game for Brighton. This certainly proves he's a particularly dangerous player in the final third.
This is the sort of forward that can thrive in Maresca’s system, no doubt about that. Add someone like Gittens on the wing, and it is a recipe for success.
Pedro's PL statistics for Brighton last season
Goals
Assists
Big chances created
Key passes per game
Successful dribbles per game
Shots per game
Via Sofascore
The Blues may be paying a premium price for the Brazilian, but they've had success when signing a similar player before...
The Chelsea star who's worth more than Pedro
When Chelsea spent £40m to sign Palmer from Manchester City in 2023, plenty of eyebrows were raised.
Not because of the fee, but because Pep Guardiola decided to let a player of such potential leave for so cheap. The Spaniard even lauded the player as having a "special quality" in front of goal after he scored his first Champions League goal for City, aged just 18.
Palmer Rogers
The Stamford Bridge side have witnessed Palmer’s maturation over the previous two seasons, going from a winger to an attacking midfielder and even a false 9, starring in similar positions on the pitch to the incoming Pedro.
Across 94 games in all competitions, the 23-year-old has registered an enormous 68 goal contributions – 40 goals and 28 assists – in just 94 matches.
These statistics have more than repaid the £40m spent on him two years ago, but Palmer shines across other areas also.
When compared to his peers in Europe’s top five leagues, the former City starlet ranks in the top 12% for progressive passes (6.04) per 90, while also ranking in the top 10% for total shots (3.41) and in the top 5% for shot-creating actions (5.7) per 90.
This set of figures proves that Palmer is one of the finest attacking midfielders on the continent, which is evidenced by his market value.
According to Transfermarkt, the youngster is now valued at a whopping €120m (£102m), which is an incredible rise from the £40m they paid in 2023.
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Not only that, but he is worth way more than Pedro, suggesting the Blues have struck gold by bringing Palmer to London.
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