Chelsea Land João Pedro in £50m Transfer from Brighton

Chelsea have reached a deal to sign Brazilian striker João Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion for a fee exceeding £50 million. The 23-year-old is set to join the squad in time for the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The agreement between Chelsea and Brighton was finalized over the weekend, with João Pedro scheduled to travel on Tuesday to undergo medical tests and sign his contract. According to a previous report, Brighton are holding out for a fee closer to £60 million for João Pedro.

The forward, who can play across the attacking line, is expected to add firepower to Chelsea’s squad under new head coach Enzo Maresca. João Pedro has reportedly favored a move to Stamford Bridge during the negotiations.

According to a previous report, Chelsea have made João Pedro their top attacking target after signing Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.

JOÃO PEDRO’S IMPACT AND CHELSEA’S SEASON SO FAR

João Pedro comes off the back of a standout spell at Brighton, where he scored 10 goals and provided 6 assists last season.

According to a previous report, he scored a total of 16 goals and had four assists across all competitions last season.

His performances were key to Brighton’s stable Premier League campaign, with the club finishing 8th in the 2024-25 season.

According to a previous report, Chelsea finished the 2024/25 Premier League season in fourth place, securing European qualification.

The signing of Pedro is expected to bolster Chelsea’s attacking options alongside Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, and new arrival Jamie Gittens.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR CHELSEA AND PEDRO?

João Pedro will join Chelsea’s pre-season camp in the United States, immediately becoming available for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. Chelsea reached the Club World Cup quarter-finals after beating Benfica 4-1 in extra time, and their first fixture in the tournament will be against Palmeiras.

According to a previous report, Chelsea are aiming to continue their winning streak in the Club World Cup.

Chelsea’s aim is to improve upon last season’s early European exits and make a stronger push for trophies in the upcoming Premier League campaign, closing the gap to the league’s top sides.

Brighton, on the other hand, will need to find a new attacking leader as they prepare for their opening match against Everton next month.